‘The Odyssey - An Epic Adventure on the Yorkshire Coast’ returned with a bang in October with the making of the mighty Trojan Horse, which has broken the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the largest cardboard sculpture.
The new instalment, supported by the Yorkshire Coast BID, tells the tale of how the hero Odysseus had a plan to bring the Trojan Wars to an end, with vision of a giant horse carrying a deadly secret, known by very few.
The giant biodegradable sculpture, standing over seven metres tall, illustrated the most famous element of Homer’s tales of Troy, a story that has inspired generations.
Renowned Yorkshire Coast theatre company, Animated Objects led sessions with communities from across the Yorkshire Coast to work together to create the enormous sculpture. Over 180 volunteers were involved in the project. The awe-inspiring figure is the largest of its kind ever to be built, it’s no surprise that it is breaking records!
Sustainability and eco-friendly materials were at the forefront of this project. Animated Objects are deeply committed to demonstrating the magnitude of what can be achieved when working with eco-friendly materials for large scale construction.
The build involved over 1km of cardboard, weighing in at nearly 1.5 tonnes all of which will be used and recycled for future episodes of the project, ensuring no materials go to waste. The horse stood at 7.85m tall, 7.02m wide and 16.85m long. It took almost a week to construct, with every section being observed by independent witnesses and measurement experts to ensure it complied with the strict guidelines from Guinness World Records. Their team have verified the evidence and confirmed that this is a new world record.
Commenting on the creation of The Trojan Horse, Lee Threadgold from Animated Objects, who designed the gigantic structure commented: “We’re thrilled to have broken the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the Largest cardboard sculpture as part of The Odyssey. It’s taken a huge amount of planning and we’d like to thank everyone involved for all their hard work in helping to bring this epic sculpture to life.”
“We hope it will inspire young people from across Yorkshire Coast region and beyond to explore how engineering, maths, design, and large-scale art can be combined to create wonders of their own. It is a huge honour and a real testament to the power of teamwork and community. As one of my favourite movie characters once said, ‘If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything!’ I hope The Trojan Horse inspires people to think exactly that.”
Speaking on the involvement of the Yorkshire Coast Bid, Kerry Carruthers, Chief Executive added: “We are delighted to be involved in yet another amazing project with Animated Objects. We have achieved something that has never been seen before on the Yorkshire Coast. All whilst bringing together local residents, visitors, communities and businesses to pay tribute to such an incredible historical story and inspiring the Yorkshire Coast community.”
However, the horse is just the beginning for Odysseus. After surviving the Trojan Wars, he now sets upon his journey home. An epic journey filled with peril and magical encounters. Each chapter of our hero’s voyage will take place in a different town along the Yorkshire Coast with events taking place between October and June.
Join us and start your epic adventure along the Yorkshire Coast this Autumn.
For more information visit www.animatedobjects.org or follow them on social media @animatedobjects
To find out more about the Yorkshire Coast BID, please visit: www.yorkshirecoastbid.co.uk/.
