INSIDE: YOUR GIANT BEE TRAIL MAP!
BUZZ AS 101 SCULPTURES ARE PUT INTO PLACE AROUND THE CITY
MANCHESTER was a hive of activity as 101 iconic worker bee sculptures were craned into position last night as part of a public art festival designed to bring people together.
The first of the brightly-coloured installations were carefully lowered into place near Didsbury library, Clayton Hall, Salford Quays and inside The Royal Exchange over the weekend, giving people a sneak preview ahead of the launch proper today.
The vast majority of the pieces were being placed into their new homes as most people slept between 10pm and 5am. Each sculpture is an imaginative and vibrant re-working of the city’s proud emblem – the worker bee – in the shape of, among many other things, an astronaut, a robot and a rock star.
The event, dubbed Bee In The City, is being brought to the city by Wild in Art, whose founders were behind 2004’s Cow Parade installation. Speaking as the finished designs were revealed at Mayfield Depot last week, director Sally-Ann Wilkinson said: “What’s great about this project is it really reflects the uniqueness of Manchester in a lot of its designs and sense of purpose.
“I hope people don’t only discover this wonderful art on the streets, but they also discover its location; maybe stop and have a picnic in
Your bee trail map is inside today’s M.E.N.
Cathedral Gardens, or stop for some pasta and a glass of wine in Spinningfields. That’s what this is about; bringing people together to rediscover their city.”
The full Bee in the City trail will run from Monday, July 23, to Sunday, September 23.
The mini bee trail is already in place and will also run until September 23.
You can complete the trail any time you like between those dates. Most will be in public places outdoors. However, some are inside buildings such as Manchester Arndale and The Royal Exchange so check their opening times before you visit.