Bears of Sheffield
The Bears of Sheffield was a public arts exhibition which celebrated everything that is wonderful about Sheffield and its surrounding areas. Following the success of the Herd of Sheffield which was also coordinated by The Children’s Hospital Charity, the trail brought together businesses, communities, artists and schools whilst supporting Sheffield Children’s.
The Bears of Sheffield were the largest public arts project Sheffield has ever seen.
The Bears of Sheffield, which were on display last summer, involved 60, 2.1m tall sculptures which were sponsored by organisations and families and decorated by acclaimed artists.
There were also 100 smaller Bears which were fundraised for and decorated by schools, nurseries and colleges.
The final total raised- which stands at £1,047,000- includes:
- £188,000 raised through donations and fundraising.
- £525,000 raised by the final auction of the sculptures.
- £129,000 raised by schools, colleges and nurseries.
- £91,000 raised through Bears-themed merchandise.
- £19,400 raised through ticket sales for the Farewell Event at Meadowhall.
Meet the people behind the Bears of Sheffield!
Next up is Graham Congreve, Director at Jump North, who talks us through almost 30 years of support for Sheffield Children's Hospital, which has spanned both the Herd of Sheffield in 2016 and the Bears of Sheffield! Jump North printed the trail map, souvenir guides, posters and postcards to raise awareness of the Bears across Sheffield!
