FEATURE
Appeal – renowned Tees artist Mackenzie Thorpe has made an impassioned plea to save the Transporter Bridge.
‘ Unthinkable’
Mackenzie Thorpe’ s impassioned call to save the Transporter Bridge
WORDS: DAVE ALLAN
Transporter tribute- Mackenzie’ s sculpture, Waiting For Me Dad. Picture: Topher McGrillis.
Mackenzie Thorpe has never been a man to shy away from emotion. His art is built on it – the rawness of childhood, the stubborn hope of the underdog, the deep pulse of Teesside pride. And when the Middlesbrough-born, internationally celebrated artist hears talk of losing the Transporter Bridge, that emotion rises fast. For him, the idea is devastating.“ That’ s unthinkable,” he says.“ It’ s like suggesting you take down the Angel of the North, the Eiffel Tower, the Empire State Building or the Taj Mahal. You can’ t.”
Mackenzie may now live more than 300 miles away in Brighton, but the pull of home is unbreakable. He returns often, visiting schools and charities, meeting young people, urging them to believe in their talent and their future.
His work is rooted in the landscapes and stories of Teesside. His sculpture, Waiting For Me Dad, stands guard by the Transporter itself – a love letter in bronze to a boyhood shaped beneath its steel frame.
His 2023 Tees Business Awards keynote speech drew a standing ovation for its disarming honesty and unfiltered affection for the region.
“ This is my home – it always will be,” he told Tees Business.“ Teesside runs through my blood. It means everything to me … I love the people, the humour, the culture – all of it.”
But these days, that affection is tinted with unease. From the south coast, he watches Teesside’ s stories unfold, and nothing unsettles him more than the stuttering, uncertain future of its most recognisable landmark.
The Transporter Bridge – the iconic blue giant that once carried millions across the Tees – has now been closed for nearly seven years. Engineers warn it is at risk of“ catastrophic collapse”. Historic England has placed it on the national Heritage At Risk register. Its repair costs shift like sand; the figure first discussed is a distant memory. What was once a straightforward ambition has become a maze of funding
60 | Tees Business