01.07.2024
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On the Saturday, the Heart of Kent Hospice officially launched the Shaun the Sheep in the Heart of Kent Art Trail, which will now run until 30th August. The trail is a partnership between the Hospice, Wild in Art - a producer of public art events, Aardman - the creator of Shaun the Sheep, and Maidstone Borough Council.
The trail features 50 uniquely decorated Shaun the Sheep sculptures placed in various locations around the parks, town centre and river walks within Maidstone and the surrounding areas. These sculptures have all been designed by local and national artists. There will also be a flock of 55 little Shauns that have been decorated by local schools and community groups that accompany the larger sculptures, together with a ‘roaming’ Shaun. ‘Roaming’ Shaun will visit multiple events and locations, including the Kent County Show, East Malling Picnic in the Park, Maidstone River Festival, Whatman Park and Mote Park.
At the end of the trail, there will be a farewell event between 13th and 15th September at Maidstone Market Hall (Lockmeadow), before all of the Shaun sculptures will be auctioned off on the 26th September at Clive Emson Conference centre (Kent showground), with the money raised being donated to Heart of Kent Hospice.
The Shaun the Sheep art trail comes after the success of Elmer’s Big Heart of Kent Parade in 2021, which raised over a staggering £312,000 for Heart of Kent Hospice. Some of the other achievements include having a £2.2m gross value-added economic impact, encouraging over 230,000 people to enjoy walking the art trail and recording over 17,000 miles walked on the app pedometer.
The Heart of Kent Hospice provides free, specialist care and support for adults living with a terminal illness and their loved ones, so they can have the best quality of life, for as long as they live. Since the Hospice opened in 1991, they have cared for over 60,000 people – patients, their carers and families, offering not just clinical support but also emotional, spiritual and social care too.
DHA is heavily involved with the Hospice, and it is one of their chosen charities for 2024. We are very proud to be the official sponsor of Shaun The Graff Sheep, which has been designed and decorated by MisterMistry, an artistic business based in London, known for its contemporary trend setting creativity and designs. Make sure to keep an eye out for DHA’s Shaun The Graff Sheep when you’re on the Trail.
A number of DHA Planning’s staff have also volunteered to be Trailmakers during the Art Trail, and DHA’s Chris Hawkins kicked off the first shift in Whatman Park on Sunday. As part of our Trailmaker duties, we have to look after the sculptures on the trail, provide information and directions to visitors and assist in the efficient daily running of the art trail.
We are also very proud to announce that working together with the Hospice, we successfully obtained planning permission from Maidstone Borough Council for the erection of a brand new, state-of-the-art Hospice as part of a new Community Care Hub at Greensand Place along Heath Road.
So, the next time you are in Maidstone, be sure to keep an eye out for all of the vibrantly-coloured Shaun the Sheep sculptures! And consider downloading the App - Shaun in the Heart of Kent (shaunheartofkent.co.uk), which includes an interactive map which shows you the location of all of the large and small sculptures and helps you to navigate to each one. You can also use the App to unlock each sculpture you find, to learn more about the trail and to upload your selfies for the Hospice to share on social media.
For further information on DHA's involvement with Heart of Kent Hospice and the Shaun the Sheep in the Heart of Kent Art Trail, please contact DHA's Laura Jackson.
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