New Manchester art trail from Bee In the City creators will bring windows to life this autumn

The organisers of Manchester’s hugely popular Bee in the City event have announced plans for a new public art trail to hit the city centre this Autumn.

The 50 Windows of Creativity event will showcase the works of a host of well-known and emerging artists all with a connection to Greater Manchester – displayed in a series of windows, venues, business and spaces across the city centre.

Like Bee in the City, which created a huge buzz in the city in the summer of 2018 with a range of bee sculptures, there will be a full trail for people to walk around and view all of the artworks. And at the end of the event, a selection of the pieces will be auctioned off to raise funds for the We Love MCR Charity.

Artists and makers taking part so far include Wellcome Trust prize winner Benji Reid, Manchester-born mixed media landscape artist Sarah Connell and Liam Hopkins from contemporary creative studio Lazerian.

All pieces on display will be available to buy directly from the artist or maker, giving a much-needed boost to the city’s creative community, with dates and locations for the event to be announced shortly.

Global public art producers Wild in Art, who curated the award-winning Bee in the City art trail, will produce the event in partnership with Manchester City Council.

Wild in Art’s Charlie Langhorne said: “The team is delighted to be back in Manchester working with the city, its businesses and the creative community to produce this event. It is a slight departure to our traditional sculpture trails, and it will be our first ever ‘window’ trail – firmly putting the spotlight on the city’s artists and makers.

“One of Manchester’s unique qualities is its ability to bring people together, and we hope 50 Windows of Creativity will enable Mancunians to rediscover the city in a safe and socially distanced way while enjoying a new type of outdoor event.”

Councillor Luthfur Rahman, the executive member for skills, culture and leisure, said: “This latest offering will allow people to engage with and enjoy culture after months of lockdown where our favourite venues, whether they are galleries, museums, parks or libraries, have been off-limits for many. A huge amount of work has gone into helping Manchester recover economically; what we need to see now is the same level of support to see the city recover culturally, a sector which is intrinsic to the city’s economic recovery. This is why we must engage with projects like 50 Windows of Creativity.”

There are a number of opportunities for businesses to get involved, including providing a window space or having an installation in their premises – as well as sponsorship opportunities. Greater Manchester artists with ideas for an installation are also encouraged to get in touch by emailing [email protected] by 5pm on 9 September 2020.