Some day my plinth will come

Jul 6 2009 by Paul Loraine, The Journal

A PROUD North Easterner is to celebrate the region's innovators when she takes part in an eagerly anticipated piece of artwork.

Brenda Bertram, from North Shields, is to spend an hour atop the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square as part of Anthony Gormley’s One and Other project, which starts today.

The Angel of the North creator has called for 2,400 people to make the plinth their own for an hour. It will continue 24 hours a day, for 100 days without a break – starting next Monday.

And when Mrs Bertram, a retired manager at an independent home for people with learning disabilities, takes to the plinth on midnight on July 27 she is set to highlight the proud history of the area by paying tribute to two inventors born on Tyneside.

She is to fashion lifeboats – invented by William Wouldhave from South Shields – made out of Plasticine, which was created by North Shields-born William Harbutt.

Mrs Bertram, 61, said: “Harbutt was an art teacher and invented Plasticine so children could model with it.

“It’s no longer produced in this country but I managed to get my hands on some. I’m going to make little model lifeboats out of it and throw them into the crowd.

“I was gobsmacked at first when I found out I was going to take part. On July 6 the first people are going onto the plinth. Then it will become more of a reality. I’m really looking forward to it.

“I have been getting to know some of the other people taking part over the internet. We’ve been sharing our fears and the things we’re excited about.”

While she is launching the boats into the crowd, Mrs Bertram will be accompanied by the sound of North East band the Pet Shop Boys. She said: “I don’t suppose everybody will be looking at it in the same way.

“I have always been very proud of the North East and very proud to say that I’m from the area.

“So I wanted to show my heritage – where I came from and why I’m proud to be a part of it.

“If anyone is in Trafalgar Square that evening, it would be great if they came along and supported me.”

The participants can do anything they want on the plinth – from performances to miming, dancing to putting on stand-up comedy – provided they remain within the law.

Other participants include a hospital porter who plans to hold up a large cut-out photograph of his late father, a designer from London who will pedal a folding pink bicycle to generate the energy to light up a specially created suit he will be wearing and a scientist who will dress up as a fish to highlight the dangers of over-fishing.

Further applications will be accepted until September 1, when the last group of people are chosen.

The people were selected through a system of proportional representation to include people from across the UK.