Sacrilege in Priory Park – but it’s GOOD news!

A life-sized inflatable replica of one of Britain’s most famous monuments is coming to Southend next week as part of the pre-celebrations for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Sacrilege is a giant blow-up recreation of Stonehenge which created by the Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller.

It is currently touring locations across the country as part of the London 2012 Festival and will arrive at Southend’s Priory Park on Wednesday 4th July.

Not only does Sacrilege educate youngsters about the mysteries and myths of the real Stonehenge, it also gives them the chance to bounce up and down on it!

It will be open from 10.30am to 6pm, is FREE to all members of the public and there are no age limits for those who wish to enjoy the Sacrilege experience.

Sacrilege was co-commissioned by the Glasgow International Festival of Visual Art and the Mayor of London.

It made its public debut in Glasgow earlier this year and is currently touring the nation with support from Arts Council England and Creative Scotland.

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council’s Executive Councillor for Culture and Tourism, Derek Jarvis, said: “I am thrilled that Sacrilege is coming to Southend.

“Youngsters will love the idea of a life-size Stonehenge that they can bounce up and down on and teachers will be thrilled that their pupils can learn about the monument at the same time.

“We’re very pleased to have been included on the Sacrilege tour and with the start of the games just a month away it’s a very exciting time in Southend.”

Creator Jeremy Deller said: “A lot of my work deals with history - and Sacrilege is no exception - this is a way to get reacquainted with ancient Britain with your shoes off.”

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “You don't have to be a specialist in ancient British history or an acolyte of the summer solstice ritual to be aware of the unending fascination that Stonehenge continues to inspire around the world.

“Sacrilege is a wonderfully witty, quite literal leap into that history and a fantastic example of the irreverence that are hallmarks of our great British humour and our incomparable artists.”

As Sacrilege moves across the country, its growing tribe of followers is being encouraged to 'offer their images to the gods' by uploading photos of themselves on the installation onto Flickr.

For details of opening times and local weather conditions members of the public should follow @Sacrilege2012 on Twitter or visit  www.sacrilege2012.co.uk