Before Shaun the Sheep takes centre stage in Maidstone, with sculptures lining a fundraising trail in the summer to raise funds for Heart of Kent Hospice, an artists space has been a hive of activity in The Mall in Maidstone.
The fantastic Artists Space has been filled with some of the large Shaun sculptures which are being painted by the resident artists and will form part of the Shaun the Sheep in the Heart of Kent art trail which launches on 29 June 2024.
Visitors to Maidstone town centre can pop along for a peek preview of the artists at work as they paint their Shaun sculptures with the chosen designs.
To ensure the final designs remain top secret, visitors can still catch a glimpse of the artists at work through specially created peep holes. Be quick though, as the artists space is only open for a few more weeks so don’t delay in coming to see the artists at work.
The artists space can be found next to Superdrug and along from the Hospice charity shop in The Mall on the fourth floor.
One of the resident artists who has painted three sculptures in the artists space is Mr A Singh, a multi-award-winning artist and content creator and inspirational public speaker from Birmingham. As one of the chosen artists, he can be seen painting his unique Shaun Sculpture design in The Mall. Mr A Singh is no stranger to creating wonderful designs for art trails up and down the county and captivating audiences through mesmerising patterns and colours.
Another professional artist who has been hard at work on his design at home in his own studio in Tunbridge Wells, Kent is Keith Siddle. Keith has been fascinated by wildlife since childhood and as a self-taught artist, Keith initially honed his skills by studying and specialising in painting the oriental and beautifully ornamental fish, Koi (Nishikigoi). Keith embraced the same work ethos that the most eminent Japanese Koi breeders use in nurturing their Champions: Dedication, patience, detail, enthusiasm and passion.
Other artists across the country are busy painting Shaun the Sheep sculptures in preparation for the trail. The wonderful array of designs has something for everyone and once the trail is live everyone can decide which is their favourite!
The ‘Shaun in the Heart of Kent’ art trail will see the HospiceH partner with Wild in Art, Aardman and Official Presenting Partner Maidstone Borough Council to create a free art trail around Maidstone’s famous landmarks for all to enjoy this summer.
The project follows the hugely success Elmer Big Heart of Kent Parade art trail which took place in 2021 and raised over £312,000 at auction for the Hospice.
Official Partners and Sponsors who have to date signed up to be part of the 2024 ‘Shaun in the Heart of Kent’ trail are:
- Presenting Partner – Maidstone Borough Council
- Auction Partner – Clive Emson Land and Property Auctioneers
- Creative Partner – GEO Brand
- Events Partner – One Maidstone
- Logistics Partner – Gallagher Group
- Media Partner – KM Media Group
- Print Partner- Yeomans
- Storage and Distribution Partner – TPS Global Logistics
Sponsors:
- Advance Group
- Active Partnerships
- Apogee
- Chartway
- Collab Coffee
- Compare and Recycle
- DHA Planning
- Fremlin Walk
- Genco Construction Services
- Gullands Solicitors
- Kent County Agricultural Society
- Lenleys
- OSB (Kent Reliance)
- PHSC
- RBLI
- The Mall
Interested in sponsoring a large Shaun the Sheep sculpture? The trail will give your company a fantastic opportunity to build your profile publicly and engage with key internal and external stakeholders in a fun and imaginative way. For more information about Shaun in the Heart of Kent please contact shaun@hokh.co.uk or telephone 07596 856667
Follow the trail on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #ShauninMaidstone
To ensure you keep up to date with all the latest news and updates visit https://shaunheartofkent.co.uk/
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About Heart of Kent Hospice
Heart of Kent Hospice has been providing free, compassionate, end-of-life care to people living with a terminal illness and their loved ones in Maidstone, Aylesford, Tonbridge and Malling and the surrounding towns and villages for the past 33 years.
The Hospice has built an excellent reputation within the local community for the quality of its care, which has been further endorsed by the Care Quality Commission who awarded us with an overall rating of ‘Outstanding’ following an inspection in February 2017.
Our vision is for everyone living with a terminal illness in our community to achieve the best quality of life. We are committed to achieving this by enabling them to live in comfort, with independence and dignity to the end of their lives, and to support those closest to them.
Last year the Hospice cared for over 1,800 patients and their families in their own homes or at our Aylesford-based Hospice. Our charity needs to raise £6 million to deliver all the Hospices services, and we depend heavily on our loyal community of supporters, whose generous donations and fundraising activities raise money for us every year.
For regular news and updates relating to the Hospice, please follow us on social media:
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