National Express West Midlands is joining in with Birmingham’s ‘Bulls in the City’ giant art project to raise money for charity that is taking place in Birmingham city centre this summer. The bus operator is sponsoring its own bull sculpture, forming part of a 40-strong herd that will charge onto Birmingham’s streets from July to September.
The bull is currently being looked after by National Express West Midlands’ Senior Designer Blake Cotterill and the company’s skilled paint team. Blake is in charge of creating a design to mark the city’s rich transport history, while father and son team Stephen and Larry Male will be bringing the design to life by expertly painting the bull ahead of the trail’s launch in July.
Birminhgham Hospice has partnered with global producer of art trails Wild in Art to create the new bull trail to help raise awareness of the Hospice when the summer trail is live, and then raise funds to support it when the 40 sculptures are auctioned off after the trail ends.
Bus Strategy and Commercial Director for National Express Antony Goozee said: “Bulls in the City is an excellent opportunity to bring a stampede of family and friends together on this immersive trail while also helping an important charity that provides vital support to communities across our region. We are really proud to be a part of the project and the team is excited about unveiling our very own bull to celebrate our transport history. With hundreds of bus services across the region, we look forward to bringing hundreds of thousands of people into the city to enjoy all that the trail has to offer.”
Rebecca Richards, Senior Events Manager at Birmingham Hospice, added: “Due to the national funding crisis affecting all hospices in the UK this year, it’s more important than ever we raise vital funds and awareness for our charity,” she said. “Bulls in the City will be fantastic for our charity, but it’s also a great opportunity for local businesses to get involved in what is set to be the biggest and best art trail our city has ever seen.”
