In September 2021 artists were invited to submit an expression of interest for a project to design a permanent tribute to Dame Agatha Christie. The tribute is being entirely funded and developed through the Towns Fund and will be installed as part of the harbour public realm project.
Five artists were shortlisted as part of the process. Each of the artists were asked to present their idea to the public in a short video. The shortlisted artists were:
- David A Annand
- Elisabeth Hadley
- Gordon Young
- Hazel Reeves
- Yorkshire Fine Arts / The Lost Foundry Devon
The public vote ran between 14 December 2021 and 16 January 2022. Local artist Elisabeth Hadley was chosen by the public to sculpt Dame Agatha Christie with her little dog ‘Peter’.
Results
Results of the vote and information on how the vote was carried out.
Funding
We have £100,000 from the Town Deal for this project.
Project benefits
Born in Torquay, Agatha Christie lived and worked here for much of her life. Torbay has marked the author’s life through:
- walking trails
- heritage plaques
- a bust near Cary Green
- Torquay being the home of the International Agatha Christie Festival
We now want to make sure that we create a more prominent and permanent reminder of the bay’s most famous daughter. Residents and visitors will enjoy and visit the artwork for generations to come.
Project timeline
Elisabeth’s creation is due to be unveiled in late 2024.
Organisations working on the project
- Torbay Council
- TDA
- Torquay Town Board
- Torbay Culture
- Agatha Christie Ltd
- Agatha Christie Festival Ltd