Aardman and Wild in Art announce creative partnership
Aardman has entered into a creative partnership with Wild in Art to produce public art trails featuring sculptures of our much-loved characters Morph and Shaun the Sheep in towns and cities across Britain.
The characters will provide a 3D canvas, and creative inspiration, for a wealth of art and design from a carefully curated mix of well-known and emerging artists. The first ever sculpture trail to feature Morph launched on 29 January 2022 when ‘Morph’s Epic Art Adventure’ arrived in North Tyneside.
Art is a huge part of Morph’s DNA and right from his earliest days creating chaos on the iconic BBC children’s art show Take Hart, he has been a champion of creativity. The art trails are part of Morph’s mission to get the nation creating, and this first event, hosted by North Tyneside Council, sees our Morph of the North with twenty 1.8m tall Morph sculptures decorated by commissioned artists from across the country with a wide range of themes including floral, character designs and plays on the word ‘Morph’.
This is the second Wild in Art trail to take place in and around North Tyneside Town Centre, following the hugely successful delivery of The Snowman and The Snowdog in winter 2020. The aim is to drive footfall into town centres, supporting the local economy, whilst also encouraging families to get outdoors and active, and nurture an interest in art and creativity in the community.
The opportunity to host a ‘Morph’s Epic Art Adventure’ trail is open to towns and cities across the UK. Shaun the Sheep will be the second collaboration as part of this new partnership, and news and opportunities for this concept will be announced soon.
Rob Goodchild , Commercial Director at Aardman said: “We are very happy to be working with the great team at Wild in Art to bring more art trails featuring our characters to the streets of the UK, including the inaugural Morph art trail – a character that’s encouraged creativity in generations of kids since the seventies. We look forward to finding fun and creative angles to connect our characters with each location and inspire people – young and old – to get creative.”
Charlie Langhorne, Managing Director and Co-founder of Wild in Art said: “We are delighted to continue our partnership with Aardman and to bring these internationally renowned characters to art trails across the UK.
“Morph and Shaun the Sheep will bring colour and creativity to host locations. Each sculpture will be a conversation starter, with a different story to tell, allowing residents and visitors to explore their town or city from a different perspective. It’s a Covid-friendly way for people to socialise, support local artists and our charity partners/a local charity and enjoy some exercise in the fresh air.
“We’ve got some exciting plans in development and we look forward to revealing more host locations in the coming months.”
Image: John Millard Photography