HARWICH is set for the ink-credible launch of Octopus Ahoy!

The Electric Palace is playing host to 60 school sculptures prior to the start of the public art trail, which starts today.

The trail forms part of the Harwich Project, delayed since 2020, and celebrates the 400th anniversary of the maiden voyage of the Mayflower to the US from the town.

Sixty school designed octopuses flooded into the iconic Electric Palace recently for a photoshoot and were the first guests to sit in the famous cinema since the crew of Downton Abbey visited.

The sculptures were attending a judging to see which one of them would be jet skied into Clacton to take up residency at Clacton Pavilion.

Michael Offord, operations director of the Electric Palace, said: “It was great to see our cinema full again even if it was filled to the brim with octopus sculptures.

“We even rustled up our back catalogue of 1970s sea-themed films so they felt right at home.

“It’s going to be fantastic to see the town awash with these wonderful pieces of art which will bring huge footfall to Harwich and boost all the businesses that really need our support after a tough year.”

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Octopus Ahoy! is a project being run by KAT Marketing and Tendring Council to mark 400 years since the journey of the Mayflower from Harwich taking the Pilgrim Fathers to the New World and 150 years since Clacton’s formation.

To mark both milestones, the community art event will run from today until September 5.

Talented artists have produced 30 4ft by 4ft octopus sculptures and they will be dotted throughout Essex, along with 2ft by 2ft sculptures by primary school children.

Residents and visitors can download the Octopus Ahoy! app for their smartphones and then follow a public art trail to win prizes by scanning the octopuses, which will be hidden in streets, parks and open spaces.

Every time you find one and GPS picks up your location - or you scan the QR code on the plinth of the sculpture - you will earn a prize.

Gifts up for grabs range from cuddly octopus keyrings to free afternoons teas.

Katie Skingle, director of KAT Marketing, said: “What’s good for Downton Abbey is good for the Octopus Ahoy! crew.

“Following in the footsteps of their wonderful cast is a little bit special as Harwich is the Octopus Ahoy! project’s spiritual home as its where the Mayflower famously set sail from.

“Mayflower 400 may have been postponed last year but the Octopus Ahoy! art trail is really going to kickstart the celebrations around Harwich, and throughout the whole of Tendring, back into top gear.”

The Octopus Ahoy! app is free to download on iPhone and Android.