The bees buzzed in Manchester. The elephants paraded through Sheffield. The rockets landed in Leicester. And now… the Snowdogs are coming to Kirklees.

The Kirkwood is busy gearing up for the launch of their exciting 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, it’s described as the biggest art event to ever come to 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 10 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 the late 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 30 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 how it can help.

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

Why the Art Trail matters here in Kirklees – facts and figures

It’s going to be fun for the whole family!
• 68% of people taking part in the Plymouth Art Trail said it helped them to spend more time with their family
• 80% of visitors to the Manchester Art Trail said it had encouraged them to get outdoors more
• 90% of visitors to the Plymouth Art Trail spent more than one day exploring the local area

It’s going to be great for business!
• Two-thirds of people in Plymouth said the Art Trail had taken them to places they’d never been before
• 676,056 people visited the Art Trail in the North East
• £10.2m gross value added to the Manchester economy during their Art Trail

It’s really exciting for our community to look forward to!
• 85% of people felt the North East Art Trail brought a sense of community to their area
• 99% of people said they felt proud to have an Art Trail in Manchester