The Bears are coming to Sheffield

The Bears are coming …

If you go down in the city today, you’re sure of a big surprise … because The Bears of Sheffield is coming and Sheffield Cathedral is preparing to play its part in this huge public arts exhibition that will raise funds for Sheffield Children’s Hospital this summer.

One hundred little bears and sixty big bears have been brought to life by artists of all ages, both professional and amateur, and will bring a splash of colour in a new trail through the city’s streets this summer.

Sheffield Cathedral will be home to two big bears and six small bears when the city-wide exhibition opens on 12 July.

The big bears have been designed by professional artists while the small bears have been created and fundraised for by children and young people.

The bear design was based on the famous life sized metal bear by local artist and sculptor David Mayne which was installed in Sheffield’s Botanical Gardens’ Bear Pit in 2005 – the Bear Pit had housed two captive bears back in the 1850s.

The Bears of Sheffield have each been sponsored by businesses and individuals and will be auctioned off at the end of summer to raise much needed funds for Sheffield Children’s Hospital.

The Bears of Sheffield is a free event and the trail opens on 12 July.