Creating a buzz: find Hammo’s bee at New Bailey this summer

The long-awaited Bee in the City sculpture trail kicks off this month, starting on 23rd July and running until 23rd September.

Inspired by Manchester’s much-celebrated worker bee emblem, the project has seen local businesses team up with a plethora of Manchester artists to create a giant colony of more than eighty bee sculptures, which will be winging their way around Manchester this summer.

Synonymous with Manchester’s pioneering and industrious spirit, the worker bee has become an icon of Manchester.

New Bailey, Salford’s premier office and leisure destination based on the banks of the River Irwell, will be hosting one of the eighty super-sized bees that will appear across Manchester this summer, as part of the Bee in the City project.

Renowned street artist Hammo, who is well known for his work with NQ street art crew Outhouse Manchester as well as for his designs for ABC Brewery, has been chosen to design the New Bailey bee. Drawing inspiration from the city and the New Bailey development itself, Hammo’s bee will be revealed next week.

Bee in the City will bring together the city’s business and creative sectors with local schools and communities to celebrate Manchester’s heritage and showcase its diverse culture and artistic talent.

The location of each bee will be available in a dedicated app, with the sculptures popping-up in streets, parks and public spaces around Manchester. Following the trail, locals and tourists alike will be encouraged to explore parts of the city they may not have had the chance to before.

At the end of the trail, the bees will be auctioned off to raise funds for The Lord Mayor of Manchester’s We Love MCR Charity to improve the lives of Manchester residents and help them reach their full potential.

Phil Mayall, development director at the English Cities Fund, which is delivering the New Bailey regeneration programme, said: “The project is not only a fantastic initiative for supporting our local community and showcasing the talents of some of our most creative artists, but hopefully it will also encourage more people to rediscover their favourite places as well as emerging spaces in our ever-evolving city.

“We’re delighted to sponsor Bee in the City and make New Bailey a part of this great cause, which will no doubt raise a significant amount of money for worthy communities and people across the city.”