A Moth for Amy

"Moth for Amy" is a series of moth sculptures decorated with unique designs by professional artists and community groups, of which Greatfield Big Local was one.

Amy Johnson CBE (1903-1941), who grew up in Hull, was one of the most influential and Inspirational women of the twentieth century. She was the first woman to fly solo from England Australia in 1930 and set a string of other records throughout her career. To mark the 75th anniversary of Amy's death, a summer festival of events was organised across Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire which included the "Moth for Amy" project, acknowledging the fact that Amy flew a De Havilland Gypsy Moth aircraft on her record-breaking solo flight to Australia.

The thinking behind participating in Moth for Amy was to increase awareness of Greatfield Big Local and the need to raise a positive profile of the estate in the city. The initiative involved commissioning Jemma Brown, a professional artist, to facilitate a design workshop with residents.

This vibrant design is playful and celebratory, reflecting the positivity to have come out of the community project in its work so far. The moth design features images which celebrate renewal and growth including Greatfield Big Local's special cherry blossom motif. The cherry blossom has become a symbol of hope for the people involved in the project, taken from the trees which bloom in the area each year. The gold tone of the moth's head acts as a royal backdrop to the brightly decorated floral wings, along which the name of the project's focus area is adorned.

Community members of all ages worked with the artist to explore ideas around growth and blossoming. The group working on the design were selected by Greatfield Big Local to represent a variety of points of view across the estate. People of all ages were invited to take part and contribute their ideas to the design. The collection of colours, themes and patterns were then interpreted by visual artist Jemma Brown.

The project was completed and the finished decorated sculpture installed at St Hilda's Church in the centre of the Estate. Its value was in both the finished product and the level of community engagement from many residents who previously had not been involved in Big Local. The project demonstrated the potential of arts projects to engage broad sections of the community as well as enhance the physical environment of the estate. Moth for Amy was a pre-cursor to the Greatfield 60 programme as part of an art trail.