Giant poo takes his place on the fourth plinth

Oliver takes the fourth plinth as a poo.

Credit: WaterAid / David Axelbank

7 July 2009

A scientist dressed as a giant poo took his place on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square at 10am today, the second day of Antony Gormley's 'One & Other' project.
 
Twenty six year old Oliver Parsons-Baker from Birmingham teamed up with WaterAid to use his plinth time to raise awareness of the billions of people who are trapped in poverty because they lack safe water and toilets. He took two placards up with a very clear message to Gordon Brown and world leaders to take action at the G8 in Italy, which starts tomorrow. Oliver said:

"The poo costume seems funny at first glance but there is a very serious message behind it – 2.5 billion people, this is almost two fifths of the world's population, don't have anywhere safe to go to the toilet. This is a health crisis on a global scale and results in over 4,000 child deaths every day, this is more than HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB combined.

"It's a silent emergency and without basic services like safe water and sanitation, billions will never get out of poverty. I want people to get behind me and demand that world leaders prioritise water and sanitation alongside health and education."

The project, which is commissioned by the Mayor of London and produced in partnership with Sky Arts, will see a different person take their place on the Fourth Plinth every hour, 24 hours a day for 100 days and will run from Monday 6 July until 14 October 2009. Oliver is one of 2,400 people taking to the plinth.

Sky Arts will broadcast all the live action from the Fourth Plinth, twenty four hours a day, over 100 days, on the One & Other website, as well as screening a weekly programme live from the plinth.

For more information and photographs please contact WaterAid's Mel Tompkins at meltompkins@wateraid.org, or call +44(0)20 7793 4995.