Celebration of Freedom
A travelling installation by Standing with Giants
Standing 10 feet tall against the skyline, Celebration of Freedom captures one of the most powerful moments in our shared history, the relief, joy and togetherness felt as the Second World War in Europe finally came to an end.
Created by Standing with Giants to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day, this striking collection of steel Giants celebrates not only victory, but the very human emotions behind it.
After years of conflict, separation and uncertainty, communities came together. People filled the streets, embraced, danced and celebrated the prospect of peace. Our Giants capture some of those moments, creating a joyful and uplifting tribute to a generation that had endured so much.
Giants made to travel
Following the success of our permanent 10-foot steel Giants on Salisbury Plain, we wanted to create something a little different, an installation of the same impressive scale that could travel.
Celebration of Freedom was designed from the outset to journey from place to place, allowing communities across the country to experience the Giants and ensuring the stories and emotions surrounding VE Day continue to be shared with new audiences.
Each figure has been created in steel and mounted onto a specially designed display system. Behind the scenes, quite a bit of Standing with Giants ingenuity went into making these enormous figures portable!
Two 20-foot shipping containers were transformed into purpose-built plinths that serve as both the display bases and secure transportation cases for the Giants. Finished in weathered corrugated steel, they complement the figures and give the whole installation a distinctive period-inspired appearance.
When it's time for the Giants to move on, the figures are secured inside their plinths ready for the journey to their next destination.
Where have the Giants been?
Since their creation, Celebration of Freedom has appeared in some fantastic locations, each providing a completely different backdrop for the figures.
The installation has been displayed at Chatham Historic Dockyard, Henley Traditional Boat Festival, The Victory Show in Leicestershire, and most recently Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, where the Giants stood alongside the iconic HMS Victory.
From historic dockyards to major public events, seeing the figures appear against a new skyline is part of what makes a travelling Standing with Giants installation so special.
Could Celebration of Freedom Come to You?
Celebration of Freedom is available for future displays at heritage destinations, commemorative events and public spaces across the UK.
If you represent a venue or organisation and would like to explore hosting the installation, we'd love to hear from you.
And for everyone who follows the Giants on their travels, keep watching...
Their next destination could be closer than you think.
Where will they stand next?
Celebration of Freedom has now been carefully dismantled and collected from Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.
For the moment, our 10-foot Giants are safely back in our care and awaiting their next location.
And that's rather the beauty of this installation. Its story isn't finished.
Wherever the Giants stand, they create a place to pause, remember and reflect, but also to celebrate the freedom that generations before us fought so hard to secure.
We look forward to seeing where their journey takes them next.
Keeping their stories alive
Women at War isn't simply about ten steel figures.
It's about the real women behind them.
Women who stepped forward. Women who served. Women who saved lives. Women who took on demanding and vital responsibilities at a time of enormous uncertainty, and whose contribution hasn't always received the recognition it deserves.
That's exactly why we created this installation.
Since its unveiling, Women at War has become part of the visitor experience at the International Bomber Command Centre, encouraging people to stop, look a little closer and discover stories they might never have encountered before.
If you're visiting Lincoln, we warmly encourage you to visit the International Bomber Command Centre, walk among our Women at War Giants and discover the extraordinary women they represent.