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8 April 2026  5 min read

#ProjectSwish: New public artwork for basketball courts in Morecambe

Titled ‘HA HA HAPPY’, the playable artwork covers a vast 1,000 sqm, including a floorscape of rows and rows of technicolour ‘ha has', the onomatopoeic representation of laughter.  

The repurposed and reused technicolour interlocking basketball floor tiles meet the words ‘HAPPY’ rising up on boards around the perimeter. 

Echoing Maya Angelou’s 'Just as hope rings through laughter…’, the work explores the importance of laughter in establishing social bonds, its contagious quality leading to happiness - a fundamental sign of openness, safety and humanity.

The project was commissioned by Deco Publique and theCOLAB as part of their Morecambe Bay Coastal Commissioning Programme, with support from Basketball England. 

Opened in 1927 as a public park, Happy Mount Park was created during Morecambe’s growth as a popular seaside resort, its character drawing on the tradition of late Victorian and Edwardian municipal parks. The park takes its name from the area at the eastern end of Morecambe’s promenade known as Happy Mount, a naturally elevated point that offered sweeping views across the vast sands of Morecambe Bay towards the Lakeland fells. These uplifting vistas continue to delight visitors today, connecting generations with the beauty of the renowned Bay. 

Basketball England gave the project technical guidance throughout and funded the upgrades to the basketball equipment because renovated courts are safe spaces for people of all ages to enjoy basketball, bond and be fit and active.

Lawkena, HA HA HAPPY at Happy Mount Park (2026). Image - Deco Publique and theCOLAB

“The name Happy Mount was what drew me to this project," said Maciver, who is known for her art work in public spaces across the world, from installations at the Artist’s Garden, Tate Britain, Somerset House, to a juvenile detention centre in Arkansas, a monastery in Vienna and the Bowery Wall in New York City.   

"When I heard it, it made me think of heaven, and I wonder if that’s what the people who named it were thinking of too. Either way I’m so grateful for the many beautiful parks including this one that are part of our shared heritage, and I’m very grateful to have been invited to create an artwork for this one.

"I hope it brings people together, I hope people have fun playing here, and I hope it adds to this little glimpse of heaven here on Happy Mount." 

BE's Outdoor Projects Lead Toby Wilkinson said:

“We're excited about the launch of the 'HA HA HAPPY' art court in Morecambe - the first of 2026 and just in time for the outdoor basketball season.  

"The unique project saw a wealth of partners come together to realise Lakwena's vision, transforming a tired public basketball court into a piece of art set in an iconic community park.  
 
"Through our court regeneration campaign - #ProjectSwish - we continue to work with councils, clubs, artists, funders, individuals and commercial organisations to invest and upgrade in outdoor basketball courts across England.”

Community activation

On 18 April from 12:00-16:00 there will be a community opening of the 'HA HA HAPPY' basketball courts. The day will include free artist-led workshops, creative basketball sessions, music and light refreshments. 

Families and all ages are welcome. Free to attend. Register by email - [email protected] or turn up on the day. 

Elena Jackson of Deco Publique said:

“We’re delighted to present Lakwena’s work in Morecambe, where the scale and atmosphere of the Bay continues to inspire artists. Through the Coastal Commissioning Programme, we’ve invited artists to spend time with the Bay, to respond to its social, environmental and cultural landscape, and to create work that is both locally rooted and internationally resonant. Lakwena’s HA HA HAPPY is a joyful, generous expression of that dialogue, attuned to the social life of public space.

This project has been shaped by strong collaboration with theCOLAB, Lancaster City Council and partners, creating a new landmark that brings people together through play, colour and shared experience. First presented in London, the work now has a permanent home in Morecambe, reflecting a shared commitment to environmentally responsible commissioning. It follows works presented in the Bay over the last 12 months by artists Daisy 
Collingridge and Elizabeth Clough. We thank our funders, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, for making Lakwena’s work possible.”  

Claire Mander of theCOLAB said:

“HA HA HAPPY is a joyful collaboration of epic proportions, which characterises the collaboration between theCOLAB and Deco Publique to realise Coastal Commissions for Morecambe Bay. Lakwena has, once again, reinvigorated an expanse of public space which focuses on the importance of laughing, loudly, in the open air, together.  The creation of this new permanent landmark for Morecambe attests to the generosity of our partners across the country enabling the transposition of materials from her commission at the Artist’s Garden, London in 2021 to Happy Mount Park in Morecambe in 2026."

Councillor Martin Bottoms, Cabinet Member for Morecambe Regeneration and Local Economy, said: 

“Happy Mount Park is a much-loved community space where people come together to relax, play and spend time with family and friends. This new addition builds on that heritage, offering something that will spark curiosity and conversation for everyone who visits.”

Other supporters of the project include the UK Government, Lancaster City Council, The White Wall Company, TVS Group, Alpha Signs and Design, WSP UK and Happy Mount Park.

Happy Mount Park

#ProjectSwish