After a summer of spreading smiles across Southend-on-Sea and Leigh-on-Sea, the baby penguins created by students from South Essex Colleges Group and University Centre South Essex have finally waddled back home to Southend City College.
These charming creations were part of Waddle-on-Sea, a vibrant public art trail held over the summer in support of Havens Hospices. The trail captured the hearts of thousands, featuring 31 large penguin sculptures and 72 baby penguins, dotted across iconic locations from Southend’s bustling High Street and famous Pier to the streets of Leigh-on-Sea.
The returning penguins are Kytka, beautifully designed by Art & Design student Olianne Smith and named after the Czech word for “flower”, and HEBA, a name that represents both Higher Education Bachelors Arts and is also an Arabic girl’s name, created by BA (Hons) Graphic Design & Illustration student Viktor Hellyar.
Now back at Southend City College, these baby penguins will be proudly displayed in the college reception area, serving as a joyful reminder of the students’ creativity, community spirit and contribution to an unforgettable city-wide celebration.
Welcome home, little ones - you’ve made us proud!
