Join the Parade! Artist brief

Elmer is coming to Maidstone!A spectacular free public art installation is coming to Maidstone in the summer of 2020. This mass-participation family event will feature up to 50 individually-designed and beautifully created large Elmer sculptures.

Heart of Kent Hospice, working in partnership with Wild in Art, the UK’s leader in the production of spectacular mass-market, public art events and Andersen Press, a leading independent children’s publisher, is delighted to be bringing David McKee’s popular children’s character Elmer the Patchwork Elephant to life.

A herd of fabulously colourful and unique elephant sculptures will take visitors and residents on a walking trail around the beautiful County town of Maidstone. The trail will incorporate Maidstone’s vibrant town centre, the stunning Maidstone River Park and other popular landmarks.

Elmer’s Big Heart of Kent Parade will be a real talking point both locally and regionally, and will give young and old alike the opportunity to learn more about Hospice care in our community as well as getting closer to art in a fun and accessible way.

We’d love you to be part of this exciting event and have the opportunity to be selected as an Elmer artist…

Help bring our trail to life

Why Elmer?Elmer was chosen for a number of reasons:• Having sold over 10 million copies worldwide, Elmer is a much loved character

• Elmer stands out from the herd and is the ambassador of friendship and celebrating difference, things we strive to teach children as they grow up today. The stories explore different concepts relating to diversity and resonate with children and families alike; in the end it’s best to show your true colours

• We all know that elephants never forget and there is a poignant connection to Heart of Kent Hospice, our Hospice is a place where memories are made and where many people return to remember their loved ones

• Maidstone has a special association with elephants, from Gert and Daisy at Maidstone Zoo to being the emblem of the old Fremlin Brewery

Businesses, community groups, charities and other organisations are sponsoring a blank Elmer sculpture and we need you to bring our Elmers to life!

This is an exciting opportunity for you to play a significant part in Maidstone’s first ever art trail and be involved in a unique high-profile, mass-market event.

We’d love you to submit a design and help Elmer to stand out from the crowd! We want you to let your creativity shine and be bold, bright, colourful and unique.

All design submissions will be shortlisted by a panel and the shortlisted designs will be displayed at an exclusive Artists selection event for our event Partners and Sponsors in January 2020. This is where local business leaders, influencers and shapers will choose which design they want on their Elmer.

If your Elmer design is selected, you will be asked to apply it onto the Elmer sculpture between February and April 2020. The final sculpture will be displayed on the trail between June and August 2020, located in fully accessible public places, parks and throughout the town for all to enjoy.

The trail concludes with a Farewell Weekend, where all of the sculptures will be brought together under one roof creating a special chance for Maidstone’s residents and visitors to see all the sculptures one last time.

After the Farewell Weekend, Maidstone will say goodbye to the inspirational and unique sculptures, as they will be auctioned off to their forever homes. The net proceeds raised at the auction will benefit Heart of Kent Hospice, funding the outstanding end-of-life care that we provide to our local community.

Why get involved?…Elmer’s Big Heart of Kent Parade will be transformational for Heart of Kent Hospice, and for Maidstone. The trail will engage thousands of people across all generations, increase civic pride, boost the local economy and help to raise the profile of local schools and businesses.

Through this fun and creative event, the Hospice will be able to raise awareness of the support we provide to local people living with a terminal illness. We aim to dispel the myth that the Hospice is only a place where people come to die, and show how the Hospice is a place where people also come to live and make lasting memories.

We want to promote the importance of creativity and the benefits that it brings to us, not only individually, but across the areas we live, work and visit. The trail will introduce new businesses to the arts, create new commissions and develop new audiences to enjoy and explore the unique and rich cultural offering of our region.

This is an exceptional opportunity for you to play a significant part in what we know will be an exciting and popular event for people across Maidstone and the surrounding areas. Coupled with that, the popularity of these trails ensures that your creativity is showcased to a mass audience visiting the trail. These events also generate exceptional media coverage, along with high social media engagement.

Benefits for you: • Showcase your work in front of an audience of thousands – we estimate that 100,000-160,000 people will walk the trail• Have a presence at our Farewell Weekend 4 – 6 September• Be acknowledged on the sculpture plaque, on the trail website and app and in publications such as the map and souvenir guide• Connect and network with other artists, businesses and the wider community• Associate your creativity and work with an outstanding and reputable local charity

If you are successfully

commissioned, you will be paid

an honorarium of

£850on completion ofyour sculpture.

Height: 1100mm Length: 1290mm Width: 680mm Weight: 35kg

Elmer the Patchwork ElephantBy David McKee

About ElmerElmer remains one of the most iconic and widely read children’s book series of all time, selling over 10 million copies worldwide since it was first published by Andersen Press in 1989. Written and illustrated by celebrated children’s author and artist David McKee, the Elmer books have been translated into more than 50 languages and now new books, toys and clothing add to the world of Elmer the Patchwork Elephant.

David McKeeDavid McKee was born in Devon and studied at Plymouth Art College. In the early part of his career, McKee regularly drew and sold humorous drawings to magazines and newspapers such as The Times Educational Supplement, Punch and the Reader’s Digest. David McKee has written and illustrated over 50 picture books for Andersen Press and has penned a number of children’s classics including King Rollo, Mr Benn, Not Now Bernard and Elmer the Patchwork Elephant. David McKee loves to paint and now lives in the South of France but regularly visits London.

The Elmer sculpture The Elmer sculpture has been created by Wild in Art’s Creative Director, Chris Wilkinson, in collaboration with Andersen Press and Elmer’s creator David McKee. It has been purposefully designed to act as a 3D blank canvas to enable artists to create their own unique work of art.

The sculptures are manufactured using a mixture of Class II fire retardant laminating resin and chopped, roving fibreglass over an initial brushed-on layer of polyester gel coat. Each Elmer is finished with a primer and is ready to paint.

Any questions?Please email: elmer@hokh.co.uk

Become an Elmer artist!Please use the Elmer templates provided to submit your design. The templates, a guide to recommended materials, terms and conditions and the design submission form can all be found in the Elmer Design Appendix. Please submit your design and signed form to elmer@hokh.co.uk or alternatively by post to Elmer Artist Submission, Heart of Kent Hospice, Preston Hall, Aylesford, Kent ME20 7PU.

Email submissions must be in PDF or JPG format and not exceed a file size of 2mb (72dpi resolution). We will contact you if we require a high resolution version of your submission. We are unable to return any materials submitted.

The closing date for submissions is midnight 29 November 2019.

Meet our artistic patronWe are delighted that local artist Graham Clarke, will be theartistic patron of Elmer’s Big Heart of Kent Parade, endorsingthe artistic integrity of the trail.

“I am honoured to be the artistic patron of Elmer’s Big Heart of Kent Parade and incredibly proud that it will businesses and people in our community together to help raise awareness and vital funds for Heart of Kent Hospice.”

Dates for your diary2 September 2019 We need you - submissions open

29 November 2019 Don’t delay - submissions close

28 January 2020Fingers crossed - commissions are confirmed

February 2020Painting of your sculpture begins

April 2020You need tobe finishedpainting, your sculpturecomes back to bevarnished andphotographed

June-August 2020 Elmer’s Big Heart of Kent Parade goes live!

4-6 September 2020Join us at the Farewell Weekend

9 September 2020Elmers go to their forever homes after the auction

23 January 2020Presentation of selected designs to Partners & Sponsors

Please contact a member of our team to find out more about our sponsorship,community engagement and volunteering opportunities

elmer@hokh.co.uk 01622 790195

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Elmer© 2019 David McKee. Licensed by Andersen Press, London.www.elmer.co.uk

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