Bulls unleashed on city streets for art trail

A herd of more than 120 bulls has been set loose in a city as part of a free art trail.

The sculptured creations, inspired by the Bullring bull, have been decorated by local artists and placed in locations across Birmingham.

Organised by Birmingham Hospice in partnership with Wild in Art, the Bulls in the City trail includes 40 large fibreglass statues sponsored by businesses.

Wild at Art has previously installed bear and snow dog statues across Birmingham.

The majority of larger bulls will be found in the city centre, with four on Harborne High Street and three on Boldmere High Street.

Each features a unique design, such as murals celebrating local history, while others have been transformed to look like dragons or tigers.

There is also a version of Ozzy, the giant mechanical bull featured in the city's opening ceremony for the Commonwealth Games.

Eighty-eight mini bulls, created by schools and groups as part of a community programme, can be found in Birmingham Hospice shops and other city-centre venues.

One bull from married couple Lynsey and Kieron Reilly, Heart of Gold, is a tribute to Mr Reilly's grandfather, Brian, who the hospice cared for in 2022, and the medical staff.

Kieron Reilly said: "[My grandfather] was just offered such amazing care. They gave him such dignity and kindness as well and like the family just have nothing but amazing words to say about the care."

Another artist, Hannah Gabriel, who had never done a Wild in Art sculpture before, told BBC Radio WM: "To work on something 3D and to see it come to life, I worry... [thinking] 'oh well, this isn't perfect'.

"The public will not see those things, but it's a perfectionist mind of being an artist I think."

Of her pink creation Disco, she said she "got inspired a little bit by a 70s vibe" and it had a quote saying "'take more chances and dance more dances".

"I think it's just fun to be happy, dancy and colourful."

Hospice chief executive Paul Bytheway, who asked trail visitors to consider donating, said a positive impact of the project had been to educate the community about the charity's work, which he estimated would cost £19m this year.

"We are not fully funded by the NHS, and we heavily rely on voluntary income," he said.

The trail runs for eight weeks until 14 September, after which the sculptures will be auctioned to raise money for Birmingham Hospice.

Maps are available digitally on a Bulls in the City app or can be collected from locations across the city.

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