In 2023, after a five-year hiatus, Martlets are bringing their beloved interactive art trail back to the streets of Brighton and Hove. Next autumn, 40 sculptures of Shaun the Sheep will be placed at key landmarks around the city.
Not only does the trail attract visitors from far and wide, but it’s a fantastic opportunity for artists, designers, illustrators and anyone with a creative flair to spread the word about their artistic talents.
For all you creative people out there who think your art could be just the makeover Shaun the Sheep needs – great news - Martlets have issued an open call to all artists! In today’s blog, we’re discussing everything you need to know about how to enter your work for consideration…
How does it all work?
Local businesses, schools, charities and community groups have already been invited to sponsor a blank Shaun the Sheep sculpture. Now, Martlets have issued a call to all artists – both well-known and undiscovered –to submit designs to be reproduced onto these blank canvases. Once all the designs are in, a shortlist will be selected by Martlets’ Trail Curator Team.
The shortlisted designs will be displayed at a private exhibition where each of the local organisations that sponsored a sheep will have the chance to choose their favourite design.
Next, the artists that are selected will be commissioned to translate their design onto a 3D sculpture, which will then be on display for eight-weeks during autumn 2023. Once the trail is finished, each of the sculptures will be auctioned off to raise funds for Martlets. All proceeds will go towards supporting people from across Brighton and Hove with life-limiting conditions.
Key benefits for artists
There are a number of fantastic reasons to get involved in Shaun by the Sea. Research commissioned for past Martlets trails, Snowdogs and Snailspace, showed that the trails reached an audience of over 600,000 people. Combined with the social media reach and PR reach, this exposure reached into the millions.
The project is also a fantastic opportunity to help inject funds into the creative sector, to get more commissions and to connect with other artists and local businesses, while making a real difference to the lives of people in our community with incurable conditions.
Key dates
The closing date for entries is Friday 6th January 2023. All artworks will then be presented to the sculpture sponsors in 2023. If selected, you will be asked to complete your design between May and June 2023. As a successful applicant, Martlets will pay you an honorarium of £1,000 on completion of your artwork.
If this wonderful project sounds like something you’d like to get involved with, download your artist pack here for all the details you need.
