From Bristol 24-7 www.bristol247.com
First it was the gorillas, then Gromits. Now plans to place dozens of Shaun the Sheep sculptures around Bristol in a new arts trail were confirmed today.
More than 100 sculptures of Bristol animator Aardman’s woolly Claymation character, will appear in London and Bristol next spring and summer. 
Sixty will go on display in London between March 28 and May 25, and another 60 will be in Bristol from July 6 to August 31.
The sculptures will be designed and decorated by high-profile artists, designers, celebrities and local talent and herded onto the streets of London and Bristol in a ‘trail of two cities’. The line-up of prestigious artists and celebrities will be revealed as the campaign unfolds.
Both ‘flocks’ will then be auctioned to raise money for children’s hospitals across the UK, including Bristol Children’s Hospital.
The project coincides with the release of Aardman’s Shaun the Sheep Movie, when the mischievous Shaun makes his big screen debut.
Bristol headquartered law firm Burges Salmon, which also has an office in London, was today named as one of the lead sponsors for both London and Bristol Shaun the Sheep arts trails.
The character’s creator Nick Park – who also brought Wallace and Gromit to the world – said: “The Shaun in the City trail means so much to me. Shaun is such a well-loved character with fans all over the world. He will add such colour to our streets and I am sure many will flock to Bristol to be part of the fun. I am particularly looking forward to working with so many talented artists and seeing how they will use Shaun as their canvas!”
Last year, more than 80 individually decorated Gromit sculptures, plus 11 ‘baby’ Gromit statues, raised £2.3m auction following their appearance on the streets of Bristol.
The Gromit Unleashed campaign raised £4.5m in total for the Bristol Children’s Hospital charity Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Appeal.
Burges Salmon managing partner Peter Morris said: “This is another fantastic chance for us to work with an award-winning charity and also the internationally-renowned global Shaun the Sheep brand on the world’s first Shaun in the City trail.
“Becoming a sponsor for both London and Bristol trails is an opportunity we simply couldn’t resist. We can’t wait to see how our staff will get behind the trails, knowing the efforts they made to support Gromit Unleashed. We are delighted to continue our support for Bristol Children’s Hospital and to extend it to hospitals across the UK.”
Wallace & Gromit’s Children’s Charity director Nicola Masters added: “This is a fantastic opportunity to be involved with the world’s first Shaun in the City Trail, staged in the heart of the capital and designed to draw international attention and visitors from across the globe, whilst raising vital funds to support children in hospitals.
“Furthermore, following the success of Gromit Unleashed, we can’t wait to bring Shaun in the City to Bristol where there is so much love and support for Shaun the Sheep and the Grand Appeal."
Last month Shaun the Sheep was voted the nation’s favourite BBC children’s character – beating veterans Postman Pat and Sooty and Sweep into second and third place.
He made his debut in Aardman’s 1995 Wallace and Gromit film A Close Shave and was given his own series in 2007.
For more information about the arts trail visit www.shauninthecity.org.uk.
