Luton Business Improvement District (BID) will work with Luton-born, Turner Prize-nominated artist Mark Titchner, in an exciting public art display set to launch in the town this summer.
Luton BID has joined the herd as the latest sponsor and Trail Progress Partner in ‘The Big Trunk Trail’ – a Wild in Art event being brought to the town by Keech Hospice Care as part of their 30th anniversary celebrations.
The vibrant parade will see at least 30 dazzling elephant sculptures painted and positioned around the town’s iconic attractions, landmarks, and open spaces for 13 weeks from 10 July 2021.
As one of the key sponsors, Luton BID’s elephant will be brought to life by Mark Titchner – an artist well-known for the eye-catching artwork ‘Beacon’ installed on The Hat Factory and his unique exploration of words and language.
Mark will work on the jumbo-sized elephant sculpture in secret from his London-based studio before the official unveiling on 10th July.
Fergus McLardy, Luton BID project manager said: “It is fantastic to be able to sponsor and support Keech Hospice Care with The Big Trunk Trail. It will certainly be one of the most momentous events on the Luton town centre calendar, made all the more exciting and enjoyable as restrictions gradually start to lift.
“Our sponsorship is not only about safely boosting the profile of the town centre after a challenging year, but to also help raise awareness and funds for Keech Hospice Care and their adult and child hospices in the most spectacular way. Of course, we’re even more thrilled to have this opportunity to work with Mark – he is such a high-profile and talented local born artist, and we can’t wait to follow his journey as he designs our elephant. It will mostly be kept under wraps, but we’re still planning to create a buzz and momentum by sharing some details on social media as we get closer to the official launch day.”
Mark Titchner added: “I’m very proud to be involved in The Big Trunk Trail and to be supporting the important work that the Keech Hospice Care does in the local area. It’s great to have Luton BID supporting my artwork and I’ll be sharing the development of my artwork in the coming months via Luton BID and #BigTrunkTrail before the final reveal in July.”
Luton BID is among a number of other local business and community sponsors – including Love Luton, London Luton Airport Ltd, The Mall Luton and University of Bedfordshire as part of the large-scale project.
Nikki Samsa, Head of Fundraising for Keech Hospice Care, said: “We‘re delighted that Luton BID has come on board and quite literally joined the herd as part of this unique event. As the adult hospice for Luton and south Bedfordshire and the children’s hospice for Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Milton Keynes, our relationship with businesses and presence in the town centre is vital, so this is a fantastic opportunity to improve those connections whilst creating an atmosphere of fun and excitement all over the local area this summer. This fantastic, free, family-friendly event is our way of saying thank you to the truly remarkable people, businesses and organisations who’ve supported our hospice through the years.”
For more information on The Big Trunk Trail visit www.bigtrunktrail.co.uk and follow @BigTrunkTrail on social media.