Waddle of Worcester art trail officially launched in the city
80 penguin sculptures are now on display throughout the area
Last updated 22nd Jul 2024
The 'Waddle of Worcester' art trail has been officially launched with a opening ceremony.
8\0 penguins in total are now on display around the city, ranging from big ones, to small chicks, all with different messages and stories behind their design.
The project has been organised by St Richard's Hospice who have also done the same thing with elephants and giraffes in the past.
Sara Matthews, who is the business development manager for St Richard’s and the penguin keeper in the project, says it's great to finally have it all open for the public to see.
"It's absolutely amazing, and this project has been two years in the making," she said.
"To now be able to put them out on the streets for people to enjoy them is really exciting, because we've had them undercover since May.
"We want our community to know that just like the penguin, our huddle is here for those with an illness that cannot be cured and their loved ones experiencing grief, and no creature captures the spirit of St Richard’s Hospice better than these beautiful birds."
Of the 80 sculptures, 40 large penguins have been designed by artists.
There are also 40 smaller chick sculptures which have been decorated by schools and community groups, and they are on show in city centre shop windows.
Lorna Wilkes is the artist of one of the penguins, and says seeing the other projects in recent years made her want to get involved this time around.
She said: "I've been a massive fan since they've started, and I've had my own mental health struggles, but when the giraffes came out during their display, that was actually one of the things that got me back out of the house.
"I put three entries in, and I got two back saying I wasn't successful, but the one I ended up designing got shortlisted for the top 100, then into the final 40, and I was just over the moon when I got the news."
On what story her penguin represents, Lorna added: "He is basically full of doodles, but he's got black and white patches, and colourful patches, and the design idea is that we have colourful days and we have black and white days, and it's fine and perfectly normal for those to run alongside each other together."
The trail will remain in the area until the 15th September.