The Angel of the North

This fine sculpture caused considerable controversy when it was first built, but has become highly recognisable all over the world, and much loved by locals in the North East of England.

Can you read these questions before listening to information about the Angel of the North, and then answer them from memory?

1 How much did the Angel of the North cost?
2 Where did most of the money for it come from?
3 How long did it take between work beginning on the sculpture and its erection on-site?
4 How much does the Angel weigh?
5 How high is it in imperial measurements?
6 How wide is it in metric measurements?
7 What is the effect that Antony Gormley has created by making the angle of the wings lean forward?
8 What word do you hear which makes it clear the spot where the statue stands is not sheltered?
9 What verb do you hear which means the statue has to remain undamaged / unaffected by strong winds?
10 Is the statue completely solid?
11 Where is the door placed which allows access to the body?
12 The statue is a feature which stands out, and it stands on top of a hill. What three-word phrase expresses this?
13 What perspective does the Angel have for locals, according to Gormley?
14 Can you give two details about the steel which the Angel is made of?
15 What ‘prank’ was played in 1998 which suggested locals’ fondness for their Angel and for one of their local footballers?
16 What suggests the Angel is a popular landmark in Great Britain?

About Antony Gormley, the artist
What Gormley has said about the Angel
What others have said about the Angel
Answers to the exercise
Vocabulary / notes
Lyrics for Robbie Williams’ song Angels

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