A site-specific stainless steel shoal created for Saxilby Canal, developed through an intergenerational engagement project with local school pupils and care-home residents.
Installed along the Saxilby canal, this commissioned shoal of stainless steel fish celebrates community, movement, and place. Each fish is individually fabricated from stainless steel, its form and surface designed to catch light and reflect the changing moods of the water and sky. Together they create a dynamic, shimmering presence that shifts with the viewer’s perspective and the flow of the canal.
Community pattern collaboration
Patterns for the scales and surface textures were developed from drawings and designs contributed by pupils at Saxilby Primary School and residents at the local care home. These motifs—playful shapes, repetitive marks and heartfelt doodles—were translated into subtle surface reliefs and laser-etched patterns on the fins and flanks of the fish.
The result is a unique blend of youthful imagination and lived experience: each fish carries an element of the community’s hand, giving the installation a personal, local identity.
Materials and fabrication
Grade 316 stainless steel chosen for durability in a waterside environment and for its ability to hold fine detail.
Combination of hand-forming, press work, welding and precision laser cutting allowed preservation of the original pattern character while ensuring long-term weather resistance and low maintenance.
Fixed on posts set at varied heights to suggest natural schooling behavior and to invite moving sightlines for pedestrians and cyclists along the towpath.
Concept and experience
The shoal is conceived as both artwork and gentle landmark: it encourages people to pause, to look closely at familiar patterns reimagined in steel, and to recognize the canal as a shared community asset.
Reflections and negative space between the fish produce changing compositions throughout the day, offering repeated discovery for local residents and visitors alike.
Commission and community outcomes
Commissioned as part of a local place-making initiative, the project included workshops with school pupils and care-home residents during design development, creating meaningful engagement and ownership.
The installation contributes to civic pride, supports local cultural programming, and provides an accessible artwork that can be enjoyed at all times.
For enquiries about commissions, community-collaborative projects, or technical details of the fabrication and installation, please contact James Sutton Sculpture.