Thirty 'Snowdog' sculptures inspired by Raymond Briggs' story arrive in Kirklees

The Kirkwood is busy gearing up for the launch of its public art event, Snowdogs Support Life, Kirklees, which is set to take place from Friday, September 2.

A free, eight-week event for the whole community to enjoy, a spectacular showcase of creative talent will be put on display across West Yorkshire.

The project will see The Kirkwood, the charity which provides care and support for anyone affected by a life-limiting illness in Kirklees, team up with Wild in Art, who have been delivering public events across the globe for over ten years.

The theme of the trail is based on the world-famous canine character featured in The Snowman and The Snowdog, the classic animated story by Raymond Briggs.

Thirty uniquely designed Snowdog sculptures, all hand decorated by talented artists from across the region and beyond, will form the basis for the trail, and at least thirty smaller Snowdog pups will form part of a mini-trail, which will run alongside the main event, giving schools and local groups an opportunity to get involved in a fun creative learning and design project.

Kathryn Box, from The Kirkwood, said: “The art trail will celebrate our rich history and shared culture, encourage people to rediscover vibrant urban spaces, spend time outdoors, and show off the creativity that our towns and villages have to offer.

“It’s the perfect excuse to visit our great towns and villages and we hope it will inspire tens of thousands of people to get outside and explore their local communities again.”

As well as creating an event that gets people excited, the art trail also offers The Kirkwood a platform to raise awareness about its services, and to reach new people who may benefit from the charity’s services but are not aware currently of the many ways they can help.

Successful art trails in Manchester, Plymouth and the North East saw huge benefits for the local economy in the past few years. An art trail delivered by Wild in Art in Newcastle and surrounding areas brought in more than 650,000 visitors, while Manchester’s Bee in the City trail provided an economic boost of more than £10million.