A local artist has designed a mosaic which looks to mark the 200th anniversary of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

Designed by ‘Isle Be Creative’ artist Debra Tracy, the mosaic has been created over the past several weeks with the assistance of members of the public - including RNLI members - through a series of community workshops.

Funded with the support of the Isle of Man Arts Council, the finished mosaic will soon be installed for public display in Port St Mary Town Hall.

Debra runs her business ‘Isle Be Creative’ from her Grenaby studio in Ballabeg. She has been self employed as a community artist and glass artist for nearly 20 years, with the last six of these years being here in the island.

Talking about how the opportunity arose for her to create the mosaic, Debra said: ‘I was chatting to a student last summer when she mentioned that it was the RNLI 200th anniversary this year, and that set the seed.

Debra Tracy working on the mosaic
Debra Tracy working on the mosaic (Isle of Man Arts Council)

‘I noticed an RNLI fleece on a man at the Pooil Vaaish Christmas fair and asked about it. We chatted and the idea came to me that a community mosaic mural would be a good thing to do to celebrate the anniversary and promote the fact that it was here in the Isle of Man that it was conceived.

‘We had several meetings and I put together a proposal to the Isle of Man Arts Council, who very kindly agreed to support the project by providing the funding. IFGL made a kind contribution too, so it is thanks to them that it has happened.

‘It was just circumstance that it was David Hill of Port St Mary RNLI that I bumped into at the fair, so it wasn't that the other stations in the island were left out. I have created a mini mosaic for every other station to include them in the project.’

194 members of the local community have helped to complete the mosaic, with Debra expecting this number to reach 200 by the time it is installed.

A number of local groups were invited to assist with the mural, including Scoill Phurt Le Moirrey, Rushen Primary School, Manx Deaf Society, Sight Matters, Manx Mencap, Southern Befrienders and Castle Rushen High School.

Volunteers helping out with the mosaic
Volunteers helping out with the mosaic (Isle of Man Arts Council)

Debra added: ‘The age of those helping out has ranged from three to over 90.

‘It wasn’t too difficult a design to do. After chatting to the RNLI, they told me what they absolutely wanted it to include: the original rowing boat and the new boat, Chicken Rock and Yn Burroo. I created a design incorporating those elements and when they authorised it, I got to work.’

The mosaic will be officially unveiled at Port St Mary Town Hall on Sunday, September 29 at 11am.

The Lieutenant Governor Sir John Lorimer and Lady Lorimer will be in attendance, and Debra has stated that she hopes the pair will help her ‘add the finishing touches’ before it is properly installed.