A woolly exhibition will greet visitors to The Deep this half-term.
Hull’s spectacular aquarium asked for visitors and supporters to create crochet coral and sea life as part of Project Crochet for International Crochet Day 2020 last month.
The donated items have been put together to form a new exhibit in The Deep’s reception area for October half-term.
Katy Duke, CEO said “The Deep is financially going through a very challenging time and we were not in a position to be able to create a new display for October half-term by ourselves.
“Launching the crochet project in September was primarily a way in which we hoped to engage with our supporters, harness their talent and involve them in a little project which would result in a small display at The Deep, however the response has been amazing! Donations have been flooding in ever since and the result is a fantastic coral reef!
The reef is here! Thank you so much crocheters, we think it looks amazing! Coral expert Seb enjoyed making the final touches so the arrangement of species is as accurate as possible. Find out more about Project Crochet here https://t.co/6N6O97HJB1 #coralreef #crochet #thankyou pic.twitter.com/ljvqqFWe0J
— The Deep (@thedeephull) October 21, 2020
“We are so grateful for everyone’s hard work, imagination and skills. Coral reefs are, in effect, underwater cities containing so much life, diversity and colour which is why it has come together so well.
“Everyone’s contributions have created the perfect reef and it’s a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase the importance of biodiversity and the need to protect our environment. A huge thank you to all who have donated their time and creations to create our community reef.”
There was support from Hull including local crochet group Babes in the Wool as well as donations from further afield including Leicester, North Lincolnshire, Grantham, Colchester, Northumberland and North Shields.
The Deep’s resident coral expert, Seb Prajsnar was involved in the build of the display, ensuring as much accuracy as possible on the positioning of particular species.
He said: “It’s fantastic to see the efforts our supporters have gone to, the detail on some of the coral and sea life is so accurate, I am really impressed.”
Visitors can see view the crochet display within The Deep’s reception area free of charge, face coverings must be worn and social distancing must be adhered to. For those wishing to visit the aquarium, tickets must be pre-booked here.
