SHOPPERS in Blackwood are in for a tree-t.
A new Singing Tree is one of three specially commissioned sculptures costing a total of £200,000 set to take centre stage in the town centre.
Along with Full Circle and Tower of Hands, the street art is set to become a talking point in Blackwood.
Funding for the sculptures is coming from a number of sources, including the Arts Council for Wales, Caerphilly council and the Welsh Development Agency.
The interactive Singing Tree has already been given planning permission.
The zinc-sprayed steel artwork will be situated in Hall Street, near Blackwood Retail Park.
It will feature 100 metallic birds in its branches, and movement sensors will trigger bird sound effects and lights when people walk past.
The tree's surface will have a slightly varying colour which resembles bark from a distance.
The second sculpture, Full Circle, opposite the Miners' Insitute on the north end of the High Street, will consist of a ring about a metre wide. It will be made from stone with a detailed and patterned surface.
A large internal ring will be sandwiched between two stone pieces. This will be painted and made from an inner and outer band of laser-profiled galvanised steel, with a bronze central section with leaves and patterns.
Local schoolchildren will be asked to help design the base, which will have bronze designs depicting the history of Blackwood.
The third sculpture is the Tower of Hands, which will be installed in Blackwood High Street.
The tower will have cut-outs of hands, all of which will be modelled by the people of Blackwood, with an integrated seating area.
The hands will all be scanned during a 'meet the artists day' at Blackwood Asda on October 15.
A council spokesman said: "The town council, a local developer and the Rotary Club are contributing towards one of the projects, so this will help create a real sense of community ownership.
"These schemes form an important part of the wider regeneration of Blackwood, which will help strengthen the town's position as one of the leading shopping centres in the South Wales valleys."
Councillor Nigel Dix said: "I think the sculptures are a wonderful idea. They will really brighten up the town and welcome people coming into Blackwood."
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