21st December 2022

At Spinnaker Tower, we are proud to be able to invite visitors to touch and feel unique artworks at a one-of-a-kind exhibition in celebration of World Braille Day.

The ‘Doodle Braille Rail’ is a tactile mural created by pupils from Park Community School, Leigh Park and Riders School in Havant with Seekers Create CIC and renowned blind artist Clarke Reynolds.

Seekers Create, which supports young people with creative skills and self-development opportunities, initially worked with the Spinnaker team to write poems based on the past, present, future and sustainability of Portsmouth.

These poems inspired pupils at the two schools to create drawings, to describe the stunning 23-mile views from the top of the Tower.

The drawings were then turned into three pieces of artwork by Seekers Create. Clarke Reynolds, who describes his art as “seeing without seeing”, translated the words into braille and his braille words are now embossed onto the images so that people with and without sight can enjoy them.

The drawings and braille came together to form the ‘Doodle Braille Rail’ – three 6ft by 6ft murals which will be hung from the rails of the Spinnaker Tower viewing deck.

The exhibition, which opens for one night only on Wednesday January 4, will see the fourth piece of artwork come to life as visitors are invited to create their own doodles to show the future of Portsmouth.

Clarke Reynolds said: “I use art to push the boundaries of what Braille was meant for. Without understanding how to read Braille, people can touch and feel the artwork and be inspired – you can feel the view from the Spinnaker Tower without needing to look out the windows.

“I hope that after visiting, we’ll see more people interested in learning Braille.”

Tony Sammut, Spinnaker Tower General Manager, said: “We want as many visitors as possible to enjoy a visit to Spinnaker Tower, its spectacular views and immersive experience, so we are thrilled to welcome the exhibition and pleased to be working with a local organisation that is inspiring young people to be creative in a such a unique and powerful way.”

Clair Martin, Director and Programme Facilitator at Seekers Creates CIC said: “Braille is often limited to product packaging and signs, and we believe that visitors who are blind are entitled to enjoy their surroundings as much as those who have full sight.

“This is why we wanted to work with Spinnaker Tower, giving people who haven’t previously been able to explore the iconic views of Portsmouth an innovative way to discover the area’s highlights and heritage.”

The ‘Doodle Braille Rail’ is free to attend on Wednesday January 4 from 5:30pm – 7:30pm. To reserve a space, click here.

Further details about Seekers Create can be found here https://www.seekerscreate.com/.