Shaun the Sheep will make his way to Newcastle this summer, joined by a friendly flock of his own for an interactive art trail set on the tyne.
In partnership with St. Oswalds Hospice, Wild in Art and Aardman Animations, Hancock Gallery, alongside others, will be transformed by the arrival of a super-sized sculpture inspired by the TV and animation star.
Artists and designers from across the region and beyond will reinterpret 50 of the famous sheep, providing a canvas for a family-friendly art trail for locals and visitors to follow. Tick off each Shaun by following the map, visit local landmarks and make it a fun day out for the kids!
Broadcast in over 180 countries worldwide since its introduction in 2007, Oscar-winning Shaun the Sheep has become a longstanding character in Aardman Animations - alongside other fan favourites, Wallace & Gromit - inspiring people of all ages through animation, sculpture and TV.
Wild in Art produces high-quality, meaningful, and innovative events that make a difference. This is their third trail with St. Oswalds Hospice after the success of 2016’s Great North Snowdogs. An event in which 61 sculptures - inspired by the animated film The Snowman and The Snowdog - covered the region for nine weeks attracting people from all over the globe. In 2019, Elmer the Elephant stamped through the streets, parks and coastline of Tyne & Wear for Elmer’s Great North Parade.
From mid-July, you’ll find Shaun’s flock around the North East and we are delighted to announce we will be sponsoring a sculpture. We’ll be revealing our design and what we’ve got planned to help you discover the joy of art this Summer, very soon. This is set to be an epic celebration of creativity and interactive art for people of all ages. There will also be some smaller ‘Little Shaun’ sculptures to spot along the way, adopted and painted by schools and youth groups across the region.
Whilst exciting, inspiring and bringing people together in the city of Newcastle through creativity, the trail will also increase public awareness about the core message of this sculpture trail. That message is to increase public awareness about hospice care and its importance and impact on the whole community. Once the trail ends, the super-sized Shaun the Sheep sculptures will be auctioned to raise funds for St. Oswalds Hospice.
Gallery Manager, Chris Morgan, says "We are thrilled to be supporting St Oswald’s Hospice this year by sponsoring a Shaun the Sheep sculpture. We are passionate about making art attainable and enjoyable to everyone, with the art trail being the perfect opportunity to highlight how fun and exciting art can really be. We invite all participants to join us for a summer of mischief! St Oswald’s are superheroes and we are so pleased to be able to support in raising funds for the invaluable work they do across the North East."
From 19th July – 27th September 2023, Shaun on the Tyne will be available for all to see, take part and make a fun family day out for all.
Before Shaun arrives, make sure you’re staying up to date to see what we’ve got planned for his arrival! For all the latest news, follow us on instagram or sign up to our newsletter to be the first to know about our baa-rilliant plans for the event.
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