Following the success of the award-winning Elmer’s Big Heart of Kent Parade, Heart of Kent Hospice is launching ‘Shaun in the Heart of Kent Learning & Community Programme.’
Schools, community groups and care homes can now sign up to join the programme which will see their own individually decorated little ‘Shaun the Sheep’ become part of an amazing new art trail planned for the summer of 2024.
‘Shaun the Sheep in the Heart of Kent’ will be in partnership with Wild in Art, Aardman and Presenting Partner, Maidstone Borough Council.
The free art trail will take place in Maidstone and the surrounding areas and will feature up to 50 individually designed Shaun sculptures, accompanied by a flock of little Shauns. The large sculptures will be designed and painted by local and national artists and will be auctioned at the end of the trail to raise money for Heart of Kent Hospice, while the little Shaun sculptures will be adopted, designed and decorated by schools, community groups and care homes.
‘Shaun in the Heart of Kent Learning & Community Programme’ is all about inspiring, stimulating creativity and encouraging minds to be curious and unleash imagination, as well as creating opportunities for engagement to build confidence and improve artistic skills for everyone involved. The programme also offers a range of opportunities and activities to tackle loneliness and isolation. It encourages participants to connect, engage, be active and keep learning.
Every school, community group or care home that joins the flock will be given a little blank Shaun sculpture to decorate and a resource pack full of hints and tips on how to design and decorate your sculpture, as well as activity guides and plans to deliver appropriate art and creative sessions along with suggested resources.
The cost to adopt a little Shaun is £750. Little Shaun is a smaller version of the main trail sculpture and stands at 67cm high. You can fundraise or donate the full amount to cover the cost of your little Shaun sculpture and help us, your local Hospice, to be there for those that need our care.
The total income raised from ‘Shaun in the Heart of Kent’ art trail will help the Hospice to continue supporting nearly 1,000 patients annually in Maidstone, Aylesford, Tonbridge and Malling and surrounding areas.
This ‘ewe-nique’ creative art trail will take place throughout the summer and your beautifully decorated little Shaun will join the rest of the flock to be displayed in the local area for everyone to admire and enjoy, showcasing the wealth of artistic talent in our community.
Becoming part of this amazing art trail is the perfect way to support the work of the Hospice. Since the Hospice opened in 1991, more than 60,000 people, including patients and their families, have benefitted from outstanding compassionate care. Patients and the people closest to them receive specialist care, so they can live in comfort with independence and dignity, whether in the Hospice, in their own homes, or the local community.
Karen Newton-Anker, Community Partnerships Manager at Heart of Kent Hospice said: “We chose Shaun, as the character brings fun and colour to every situation, he is the leader of the flock and the hero of the show. He is smart, and resourceful, as well as being mischievous and his lively personality marks him out from the rest of the flock.”
Your little Shaun sculpture is the perfect blank canvas for you to be able to create a unique piece of art. Shaun will be ready for you to decorate.
Karen continues: “At the end of the trail, there will be a Farewell Weekend which sees all the Shaun sculptures come together in one place for three days. Everyone is invited to come along, to see the flock for one last time and say goodbye.
“Once your little Shaun has dazzled the crowds on the trail, we’ll return him to you to keep forever!”
Download the Learning & Community PDF
