Internationally renowned artist Bruce Munro has given the thumbs up to the RNLI volunteers who helped to instal the Field of Light display in Salcombe.

The 65-year-old artist, known throughout the world for his immersive light displays, visited the town on Thursday (October 3) to inspect the work and thank the volunteers who spent two weeks installing 20,000 fibre-optic lights in three fields overlooking Salcombe.

Some of the RNLI volunteers who helped fit the lights
Some of the RNLI volunteers who helped fit the lights (Richard Torné)

Philip Ward, for the RNLI, explained the team’s sense of achievement. “It’s been outstanding – we’ve done it two days ahead of schedule, and that’s allowed us to have us a couple of days of testing.”

Philip Ward, from the RNLI: "It’s been outstanding – we’ve done it two days ahead of schedule"
Philip Ward, from the RNLI: "It’s been outstanding – we’ve done it two days ahead of schedule" (Richard Torné)

Covering 35,000 square metres on the edge of the estuary, the Field of Light will go live at precisely 6.24pm on October 5 to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the founding of the RNLI lifeboat service.

Mr Munro said: “The RNLI stands for a lot to do with community, which is quite a rare thing in the world today, and to get people working together is something that we probably all need to draw upon. My team and all the volunteers have had an amazing time creating this piece of art, so it's positive in every respect.”

More than 150 volunteers worked with Mr Munro’s team of technicians to install the lights. Each stemmed unit is topped by a small glass sphere and joined to a tiny fibre optic filament that is fixed to the ground by a stainless steel spike. The filaments are then hooked up to a projector.

Mr Munro said Salcombe held special significance in his life. “There's an emotional connection because my father and my grandfather both lived here, and obviously I came down here as a child, so I had some very happy times and memories,” he said.

He pointed at a bench located in the gardens below Cliff House, just visible from the top of the field, which he said was dedicated to the memory of his father.

“I'm really pleased that he will get to see one of my artworks at last. I made some pretty awful paintings when I was at art school, and he must have thought, ‘Oh, my God, what's this boy up to?’ but hopefully he'll have a bit of a giggle when he sees it,” he said, smiling.

Salcombe’s Field of Light display runs from October 5 to January 10, 2025.