Local MP John Penrose has welcomed the news that Weston has been awarded £50,000 from the Government’s Coastal Rival Fund to refurbish and relocate Banksy’s Pinwheel exhibit.
The Pinwheel is one of the most memorable pieces from Banksy’s Dismaland exhibition, which landed in Weston’s Tropicana during 2015. It was donated by Banksy to the town, but the size of the piece and costs involved in moving it meant that until now it had been stuck in the Tropicana.
John said: ‘the Government’s coastal communities fund is specifically intended to turbocharge the economic rebirth of towns like Weston. This grant is great news, because it will help to cement the memory of Banksy’s hugely successful ‘Dismaland’ exhibition, which transformed the Tropicana and turned Weston into a global cultural centre a couple of summers ago. “Ever forwards”, as Weston’s motto famously says!’