'Bring The Vivienne Home': Family of The Vivienne launches search for sculptor to create permanent Liverpool memorial

The family of The Vivienne have launched a nationwide search for the sculptor who will create a permanent bronze statue of the late drag superstar in Liverpool's Pride Quarter.

The life-size memorial, which will be chosen in consultation with the performer's family, is planned for the junction of Victoria Street and Stanley Street, marking the entrance to Liverpool's officially recognised Pride Quarter. Organisers say it will be one of only a small number of permanent public artworks in Britain dedicated to a contemporary LGBTQ+ performer.

The project honours James Lee Williams, known around the world as The Vivienne, who won the first series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK in 2019. Williams remains the only British contestant to have competed in the US version of the franchise and became the first drag performer to reach the final of Dancing on Ice.

Born in North Wales, Williams moved to Liverpool at the age of 16 and became a prominent figure within the city's LGBTQ+ community long before finding national fame. Following Williams' death in January 2025 after what the family described as a silent struggle with ketamine addiction, relatives established House of The Vivienne CIC to help ensure others do not face similar challenges alone.

The open tender, announced today, invites professional sculptors from across the UK to submit expressions of interest. Rather than standing on a plinth, the artwork is envisioned as a seated bronze figure incorporated into the existing stone benches at the site, allowing visitors to sit alongside The Vivienne while overlooking Stanley Street.

Organisers say the successful artist will be expected to capture both the performer's charisma and the warmth of James Lee Williams as a person, while working closely with the family throughout the design process. The family will have final approval over both the selected sculptor and the finished design.

Cassie Williams, mother of James Lee Williams, said she wanted the memorial to provide a place where loved ones and admirers could feel connected to him. "I wanted somewhere anyone who loved him could come and sit with him. His family with their brother, their cousin, their nephew, their uncle. His friends with James. Everyone who admired him with Viv," she said.

"It was important that this was in Liverpool, where The Vivienne made her name, where James found his people, and where the community continue to keep his legacy alive.

"What I would say to any sculptor thinking of applying is this: James was The Vivienne, but he was also my boy. If you can see both of those, you are the person we are looking for."

The project is aiming to raise £120,000 to cover the costs of the statue and its installation, with funding coming from a combination of community fundraising and other financial backers. Applicants have been asked to submit their own projected budgets as part of the tender process.

At this stage, sculptors are not required to produce design concepts. Instead, expressions of interest should include a CV, portfolio, a statement of up to 500 words, an indication of fee expectations and a proposed timeline. Up to three artists will then be shortlisted and invited to develop detailed proposals, with each receiving a £750 development fee.

John Hyland of Proudly Said, which is leading the project, said the launch of the tender marked a significant milestone. "This is the moment the statue stops being an idea and starts becoming an object," he said.

"We have made this an open call because the right sculptor for The Vivienne could be anywhere.

"What matters is that they understand who both The Vivienne and James were. We are also asking sculptors to tell us honestly what this takes, we want to get it right rather than get it quickly."

Expressions of interest close on 16 October 2026. Full details of the commission are available via the Bring The Vivienne Home campaign.