Out of darkness cometh light: New sculpture unveiled reflecting Wolverhampton motto

A candlestick with a candle and flame has been sculpted from the remains of a damaged cedar tree in the gardens at St Peter’s Church in Wolverhampton city centre.

For safety reasons, the tree had to be felled earlier this year after it was badly affected during Storm Darragh and Wolverhampton Council’s arboricultural team suggested local sculptor, Robot Cossey, could create a legacy from the remains.

Wolverhampton Council said the new sculpture reflects the city’s motto of ‘Out of darkness cometh light’ and has been funded by the Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).

It is one of a series of place-shaping interventions at St Peter’s Gardens which have been funded by UKSPF, with the first element, completed this summer, being the repair and cleaning of St Peter’s Fountain.

Future plans include lighting up St Peter’s Gardens, supporting a key priority of the Wolverhampton Evening and Night Strategy to improve the experience of moving safely round the city. 

The facades of St Peter’s Church and Wolverhampton Art Gallery will also be lit up, showcasing their history, architecture and heritage.

Improvements to the lighting of the gardens also respond to the Nighttime Economy survey, conducted by the council to inform the Evening and Night Strategy, and the improvements also reflect responses in the Wolverhampton Safety of Women and Girls Survey, conducted by West Midlands Police and the Safer Wolverhampton Partnership.

Mayor of Wolverhampton, Councillor Craig Collingswood, said: “This new sculpture is absolutely beautiful and it’s inspirational to see how something that was so badly damaged can still be enjoyed in such a meaningful way.

“The artwork represents the city’s motto, and the symbol of light is very fitting for its location in the church gardens. Robot has done an amazing job in creating this artwork for residents and visitors to enjoy.”

Wolverhampton Council’s cabinet member for city development, jobs and skills, Councillor Chris Burden, said: “This wonderful sculpture is just one of the plans we have in place for the gardens and one of the many different ways in which we are encouraging visitors to our city. The visitor economy is very important to us, and we want to ensure it continues to grow.

“By making sure we take on board and reflect the opinions given by residents in our recent surveys, we are developing Wolverhampton as a destination city to be truly proud of.”