Walker Books has teamed up with Wild in Art for the We’re Going on a Bear Hunt art trail set to visit Kingston and Birmingham this spring.
Global art producer Wild in Art and Walker Books are set to embark on a creative partnership in 2024, following their first hugely successful collaboration on the We’re Going on a Bear Hunt art trail in Leeds during summer last year.
The partnership will see ten bear sculptures visit the Greater London town of Kingston for a trail delivered alongside Kingston First from 29th March to the 7th June, inviting residents, workers and visitors to explore Kingston’s streets, parks and landmarks in search of them, before travelling up the M6 to Birmingham city centre where the sculptures will reside between 1st July to 30th September as part of a trail funded by Central BID Birmingham, with more to be announced later in the year.
Independent research into the impact of the Leeds Bear Hunt found that the trail delivered a direct economic benefit of £5.09m for the city with a gross value added of £2.3m. More than 147,060 residents and visitors actively engaged with the trail with many thousands more exposed to the trail during the nine weeks the Bear sculptures were on display, and this popularity led to Wild in Art and Walker Books taking their creative relationship to the next level.
For the Kingston and Birmingham Bear Hunts, the sculptures have been designed by ten different artists, with five used in the Leeds trail and five brand-new bears showcasing never-before-seen artwork that captures light-hearted and thought-provoking themes, including diversity, sustainability, climate change, biodiversity and more.
The art trail is inspired by the award-wining animation, based on the much-loved picture book We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen, and was Wild in Art’s first collaboration with Walker Books and Leeds Hospitals Charity.
Wild in Art and Walker Books are looking to recreate the positive impact that the Bear Hunt had in Leeds at more locations around the country.
Pindy O’Brien, international licensing and market development director, said: “Wild in Art truly excels in creating captivating sculpture trails like no other. Its exceptional work in Leeds speaks volumes, and we couldn’t be more excited to collaborate to breathe life into our storybook in numerous towns and cities.”
Charlie Langhorne, managing director and co-founder of Wild in Art, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Walker Books to bring the much-loved We’re Going on a Bear Hunt to life through a 3D canvas. The partnership is a great endorsement of the cultural benefits of our events, which bring fun, free, art galleries to communities and unique opportunities for artists and brands to reach new audiences.”
