by Emma Grove

A Sheppey artist has helped give a town centre shop a new lease of life.

Paula Trower, from Halfway, has been taking part in a public art project to celebrate the handover of the Olympics from Beijing to London.

Last summer a copy of the Olympic flag was cut into 200 pieces and mailed in golden envelops to people chosen at random across the borough, along with instructions explaining where residents should return their piece of flag.

A total of 96 pieces of the flag were returned, and photos were taken when people returned their pieces.

Now the flag has been sown back together and has been displayed in the window of an empty shop at 56 High Street, Sittingbourne, for the last week, along with the collage of photos.

The flag will be on display until tomorrow (Friday).

Paula said: “I was thrilled to work on this project and the idea of people coming together through art.

“Although not all of the flag was reunited it was still a contemporary project that makes a really exciting visual arts piece.

“I am delighted that it will be on public display for a week to all those who are in Sittingbourne High Street.”

Gerry Lewin, Swale council’s executive portfolio holder for culture, said: “Each country in which the Olympics are hosted agree to hold cultural events in the run up to the 2012 Games.

“This initiative is another one of those events that remind residents of the Games to come and in this case an extra twist to what people can see while out shopping.

“This was a good project that brought people together through art and we are delighted to be able to display it again.”

“The council is currently working with its partners in the North Kent Local Authorities Arts Partnership looking at ways in which it can reinvigorate the High Street through art given the current economic climate.”

If any landlords have a shop that is currently empty that could be used to display public art in its windows or frontage, contact Catherine Herbert, the council’s arts and heritage officer, on 01795 417426.