Elephants have taken over the streets and seaside of Southend-on-Sea as Herd In The City officially launches to the public.
The free, family-friendly art trail runs till 4th September, with 46 large sculptures and 72 baby sculptures popping up outside shops, pubs, seafronts and railway stations across the city, including Leigh-on-Sea and Shoeburyness, for all to enjoy. Each large sculpture has been designed and themed by an artist, with the baby elephants decorated by local schools and community groups.
To mark the occasion, local artists John Bulley and Karl Sims created an art installation under the railway bridge on Southend-on-Sea High Street, aimed at passers-by to take their own ‘ele-selfie.’ The design is based on the Herd In The City striking brand, created by local creative agency, SixRedSquares.
John says, “It’s been great to work alongside my great friend, Karl, to create the Herd In The City mural. Because of my heart problems earlier in the year, I couldn’t have done this without him. He prepped the wall and projected the outline of the characters for us to paint.
“I hope this brings a smile to people in Southend, and they get behind the trail because it’s all for a really great cause.”
The artists were joined by the official event partners and sponsors of Herd In The City.
Matt Sullivan is Managing Director of Method IT, one of the main Partners of Herd In The City. “We’re absolutley delighted to be involved with the project, raising money for an excellent local charity. It’s been an honour to work alongside such a talented and entertaining artist, MrASingh, who created our elephant, Creative Freedom.”
At the end of the trail, the herds will be gathered up for the Farewell Weekend on 23rd and 24th September at Saxon Hall, before the large elephants are auctioned to raise money for Havens Hospices.
Lauren Eagle-Allen is a fundraiser for the charity. She says, “After more than a year of preparation and painting, we’re thrilled that the herd has finally arrived in Southend-on-Sea. We can’t wait to watch others now enjoy these beautifully designed sculptures, bringing splashes of colour to the city and making art accessible to everyone.”
Havens Hospices provides specialist care and support for people of all ages who are living with incurable conditions and their families. This care and support includes everyone, extending to partners, family and friends to make sure the right support is there for patients and the people who matter to them, where and when they need it.
This care is provided absolutely free of charge and is only made possible thanks to donations and fundraising initiatives such as Herd In The City.
Trail-goers can purchase a map from:
- Any Havens Hospices charity shop
- Herd HQ next to Toni&Guy in Southend High Street
Pier Information Centre - Beecrift Gallery
- Southend Central Musuem
- Prittlewell Priory
- The Forum
- Leigh-on-Sea Library
There’s also a ‘Herd In The City’ app which can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play.
Herd In The City runs till 4th September. Tickets for the Farewell Weekend are available now at www.herdinthe.city/farewell
Published 17th July 2023
