EditorEXCLUSIVE: £130k permanent Covid memorial to be created on seafront
Swansea Council, who are behind the project, say that the £130,000 reflective public artwork will offer a quiet space for remembrance and contemplation overlooking Swansea Bay.
Work on the project is expected to begin in April and will be located near the iconic Slip Bridge.
Designed by Welsh glass artist Catrin Jones and sculptor Angharad Pearce Jones, the memorial will be fabricated at a metal workshop in the Amman Valley.
The council confirmed that the design features sculpted steel forms and coloured glass, which will sparkle in the sunlight to symbolise resilience and hope.
It includes three glass circles inspired by the colours of the peacock butterfly — a symbol of endurance and transformation.
The memorial will be set between two trees on a grassed area already used for reflection, featuring gentle seating and wildflower planting.
New accessible paths will also be installed to ensure the site is open to all visitors.
Cllr Elliott King, Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Human Rights and Equalities, said: “The impact of Covid continues to be felt every day.”
He added: “Too many families lost loved ones, and many key workers, volunteers, neighbours and friends carried us through the most difficult times.”
“The council made a promise that Swansea would honour every person who was affected, and this memorial will provide a permanent place to remember them.”
Artists Catrin Jones and Angharad Pearce Jones said the project was deeply informed by the city’s collective memories of the pandemic.
Catrin Jones said: “This memorial brings together light, colour and nature to create a calm and thoughtful space by the sea.”
“We wanted to offer something gentle, symbolic and enduring, a place that holds people’s stories with care.”
Angharad Pearce Jones added: “People spoke about grief, resilience and the small acts of kindness that helped them through Covid.”
“The design reflects those emotions, the distances we had to keep, the connections we tried to maintain, and the hope that carried us forward.”
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