A waddle of brightly coloured penguins is encouraging folk to literally waddle around Worcester this summer. And in true penguin style, they may look the same shape, but each one has a totally different personality and story to tell.
No fewer than 40 six-foot and 40 three-foot penguins will adorn the city’s streets, parks, and public spaces from July 22 until September 15 to form a spectacular art trail before being auctioned off to raise funds for the much-loved St Richard’s Hospice which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.
‘We can't wait to see our huddle of happy penguins standing among Worcester's iconic landmarks this summer,’ says Sara Matthews, Business Development Manager for St Richard's Hospice, who's leading the great Waddle of Worcester.
‘Many will remember how the city felt when we were previously joined by giraffes and ele-friends and we're excited to recreate that magic all over again, bringing art trail goers into the county in their droves.
‘We often get asked how we choose each sculpture, and this was quite easy in our fortieth year caring for patients and loved ones. If anyone knows that kindness is a superpower; it's the penguin! Compassionate by nature, you'll see them in a huddle - looking out for their neighbour - when the weather turns. Nothing captures the spirit of St Richard's better than these beautiful creatures.’
Combined, the past two art trails, in partnership with Wild in Art, have raised more than £700,000 for hospice care. Such efforts help raise the awareness of the vital services and support provided by St Richard’s which makes a huge difference to patients, their families, and bereaved people across Worcestershire.
This year’s sculpture, again in association with Wild in Art, represents the yellow-eyed penguin, which is unique to New Zealand and thought to be one of the world’s rarest penguins.
To help publicise the trail, before the great reveal on July 22, two penguins have played their part in drawing attention to the waddle. Spirit, a large penguin, and Hoiho, a chick, have been painted by Jess Perrin who designed ‘Hive in the Herd’ for Worcester’s Big Parade in 2021 and ‘Chang Jing Lu’ for Worcester Stands Tall in 2018. Hoiho means ‘noise shouter’ in Māori and refers to the bird’s shrill call at breeding sites.
These two non-flying birds will be joined by 78 others. The 40 giant ones are sponsored by different companies in the Worcestershire area and beyond, whilst the 40 chicks are adopted by different schools or community groups in the region or have been sponsored by a local company.
Since 2008, Wild in Art, has animated cities across the world including Manchester, Sydney, Auckland, Cape Town, and São Paulo, and created trails for the London 2012 Olympics, the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Historic Royal Palaces and Penguin Random House. It is a prestigious honour to be chosen to paint a sculpture as artists must go through a rigorous selection process as their designs are considered, shortlisted, and finally chosen. For the Waddle of Worcester trail, hundreds of designs were submitted.
Worcestershire artist and illustrator Marnie Maurri is used to hosting large ‘animals,’ and has acquired the mastery necessary to tackle the likes of a giant tortoise, elephant, giraffe, or owl.
For this latest trail, two out of her three designs were chosen, and it has meant bringing to life two six-foot characters, each with a different colour palette, different storyline, and different personality.
Marnie is used to reaching parts with a paintbrush that require what I would describe as ‘body origami,’ where limbs are stretched to ensure every inch of every sculpture is covered. This often means negotiating beaks, trunks, and long necks.
Marnie’s ‘Picasso Penguin’ and ‘Little Blue Makes a Wish,’ will be joining the Waddle of Worcester, offering their own touch of joy and delight to what promises to be an exciting and uplifting trail celebrating the hospice’s 40th anniversary.
‘I really loved doing the Picasso one and have created him like an artist. He was such fun to do. I loved doing him,’ states Marnie, who has a background in theatre design and is also a children’s book illustrator.
‘Little Blue is a gentle, serene penguin and is the world’s smallest penguin, also known as the 'fairy penguin' which has a blue tinge to its fur. I went down the magical route with this design.
‘There is such a joyfulness about penguins. I love them and I want people to smile when they see my designs.’
Marnie, like many artists, is often dwarfed by the large sculptures she transforms with her enchanting colour and sparkle. I always think of Judith Kerr’s The Tiger Who Came to Tea when I think about the wild animals that have been invited into many a studio and home.
As an artist myself who has also painted a few giant sculptures, something happens when you apply thought, imagination, and paint to the white forms. They become real to you as they literally come alive in your imagination and you almost feel bereft when they leave to go in their allotted space in the public arena, be it in a park, on a pavement or in a prominent place.
‘The first time I did a giant sculpture was in 2018 when I did an 8ft giraffe in Worcester,’ recalls Marnie.
‘I have just had two huge lighthouses in my small studio which are for Southampton and Cowes; a giant owl, which I turned into Frida Kahlo in my living room, as well as a big Elmer sculpture for Blackpool so it has been a crazy six months!’
One of the joys of the trails, is the rich diversity of every sculpture and the fun in discovering where they all are. Teacher Joe George and his three children have been avid supporters of art trails all over the country, often clocking up miles on public transport to hunt out herds, bear packs and multiple other giant beasts. He inspired his students at Astwood Bank Primary School near Redditch, to paint one of Worcester’s penguin chick sculptures this year which has been kindly funded by local company Thorlux Lighting. As well as music co-ordinator, he has been the school’s Prince of Penguins and helped ensure every pupil – all 420 of them – were given an opportunity to paint Tiaki, the school’s penguin chick.
‘The children have taken it very seriously, and divided the penguin’s body into two halves, one showing healthy sea life, the other showing the impact pollution has on the animals and wildlife. They have portrayed a strong message through its body. There are some very sad looking animals, including an upset jellyfish,’ explains Joe.
With Joe’s guidance, not only has the school fully embraced all things penguin in their curriculum, and carried out a full school penguin dance, but they’ve held a penguin T-shirt sale and bake sale which has raised more than £2,000 for St Richard’s Hospice.
‘When the blank penguin arrived, the mayor came to unveil it. Along with our sponsor Thorlux. Whilst it was being painted, we hid it away and only those who were working on it could see it. Before it left, the mayor came back and did a big reveal of the finished penguin, and we had a huge celebration. It was quite an emotional moment when Tiaki went,’ admits Joe.
No doubt the children and Joe’s own family will be looking out for Tiaki this summer.
Mixed media painter Susan Birth works and exhibits at the Artist Studios at Bevere Gallery on the edge of Worcester and her studio is open to visitors Tuesday to Saturday (10am-4pm). Her eye-catching artwork encompasses colour, shape, movement, texture, and pattern and is full of detail and expression. When the Waddle for Worcester called for artists to submit potential designs, Susan entered Blossom, a design inspired by a painting commissioned by Worcestershire Hour for their Social Media awards in 2022 as a prize for the overall winner, with limited edition prints of her painting given to winners of certain categories.
Like her painting, Blossom the Penguin has been created using a mix of acrylic paint and collage. However, for an artist who is used to working in a two-dimensional way, a Penguin form has proved an interesting challenge for her.
‘I have never done anything like this, and I have never painted anything that wasn’t flat before. I enjoyed it immensely,’ says Susan, who admits it took two months to complete her giant-sized penguin, which she says is non-binary and takes the pronoun they/them.
‘I spent a lot of time crawling on the floor and getting into all sorts of positions so I could reach the feet and underneath its body.
‘I became quite attached to my penguin as it started to come alive, and I am looking forward to taking my two granddaughters on the trail to see all the other fantastic sculptures. I know they are going to be so proud.’
With the 40 giant penguins and 40 chicks now out in the wild on the streets and in the parks and open spaces of Worcester from July 22, it’s time for the public to enjoy a waddle around the city to find them.
Avid art adventurers will be helped by a trail map and app, which is fully accessible and can be reached via public transport. As each sculpture is unlocked on the app, more will be revealed about the trail and the city of Worcester.
The Waddle of Worcester not only inspires people to celebrate this wonderful city, and the explosion of creativity generated by artists who have spent hours painting the individual penguins, but it shines an important light on the tremendous work that St Richard’s Hospice does in and for the community.
So, let’s hope those who bid for these amazing birds at auction, once the trail ends, pppppp….pick up a penguin and fish out thousands to help ensure this vital service gets the funds it needs.
The trail, which runs from July 22 to September 15, has its own dedicated website https://waddleofworcester.co.uk/ along with trail Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.
https://susanbirth.com
https://marniemakes.co.uk/
