Bristol, the vibrant capital of the South West of England is lined-up to be one of the most exciting UK cities to visit this summer when giant sculptures of one of the country's most iconic characters are unleashed onto its streets.

 

Around seventy giant hand-painted sculptures of Gromit, the famous plasticine dog created by Nick Park of Bristol-based Aardman animations and loved by audiences across the globe, will decorate the streets of the city for ten weeks in a major new public art trail named Gromit Unleashed.

 

Gromit is best-known as the silent sidekick of cheese-loving Wallace and is a quintessentially British modern hero. The team behind the animated duo have so far helped to net three Oscars with their hilarious antics and now it's the public's turn to show their love for this canine character.

 

With a variety of trails taking visitors from one Gromit to another across Bristol's landmarks, including the spectacular Clifton Suspension Bridge, there will be a huge selection of eye-catching sculptures to keep visitors entertained. Many Gromits have been designed to reflect Britain's popular cultural identity, including a creation by British pop artist, Sir Peter Blake, who designed the album cover for 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' by The Beatles.

 

The eclectic line-up of artists also includes iconic British designers Sir Paul Smith, Celia Birtwell, and Cath Kidston, Richard Williams, the animation director on the  acclaimed film 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit', Peter Lord, Aardman co-founder, Raymond Briggs, the man behind The Snowman, Axel Scheffler, illustrator of children's favourite The Gruffalo, and Trevor Baylis, inventor of the wind-up radio.

 

Wallace and Gromit creator Nick Park is closely involved with the project and will also be designing one of the sculptures on the trail himself.

 

Commenting on the project, Nick Park said: "I can't wait to see how Gromit will look decorated by so many different artists. I love the concept of these art trails and to have 'Gromit at large' is slightly scary in a nice way for me, but also an incredible honour."

 

The creation of Wallace and Gromit and the popularity of the characters have already helped put Bristol on the global map as a creative city. With the launch of Gromit Unleashed alongside a packed line-up of events and festivals including the International Balloon Fiesta in August, summer 2013 is an ideal time to visit the city.

 

Located an hour and 45 minutes by train from London and with its own airport linking major international hubs, Bristol is well-known for its maritime heritage and an innovative, dynamic culture, making it one of the most cosmopolitan centres outside the capital. Compact enough to get around on foot, yet big enough to boast an exciting line-up of entertainment, Bristol has much to offer from Banky's street art to Brunel's ss Great Britain, and many museums, galleries and award-winning attractions in-between.

 

Other highlights in Bristol this summer include:

 

The Bristol Shakespeare Festival 2013: After a day out Gromit-spotting in Bristol, visitors can soak up an open-air theatrical delight during the Bristol Shakespeare Festival. The announced line-up of productions includes 'Romeo and Juliet' on 6 July and 'As You Like it' on 10 July at Brandon Hill, a location which boasts some of the finest views of the city centre; 'The Tempest Within' from 11 to 17 July at the Redcliffe Caves; and 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' on 15 July at Blaise Castle and 19 July at Berwick Lodge, both on the rural outskirts of Bristol. Tickets are available via www.bristolshakespeare.co.uk

 

St Paul's Afrikan Caribbean Carnival: On Saturday 6 July, one of Bristol's most colourful community carnivals returns with an eclectic mix of live music, vibrant costume and an atmosphere that underpins the cultural diversity of the city. Alongside the famous street parades, there will be an exotic array of food stalls offering a taste of the Caribbean. The party starts at 11am until 2am.

 

Foodies Festival: From 12 - 14 July, Bristol will celebrate the finest food, drink and culinary talent across a number of events hosted in the historic Harbourside. Food lovers will be tempted by a range of activities and places to visit, including the Chef's Theatre, cookery demonstrations, masterclasses, a Wine Village and Chocolate Theatre, BBQ area, cookery for kids and a Homeware Village selling a range of kitchen gadgets. A one day adult ticket is £12 and a three day ticket is £18, available to buy via www.foodiesfestival.com. Entry for children aged 12 and under is free with an adult.

 

Bristol Pride Day Festival: Attracting thousands to Bristol, Pride Day Festival on 13 July will take place in Castle Park which will be transformed into a multi-stage outdoor music festival with plenty of colour, creative activities, dedicated family areas, food and market stalls. Free for all.

 

Bristol Harbour Festival: An event in July not to be missed is the annual Harbour Festival taking place between 26 and 28 July. Visitors will be entertained by a vibrant mix of live performance, artists, musicians, dancers, circus acts, markets and street stalls, all taking place across a two mile stretch from Brunel's ss Great Britain to M Shed, and from Queen Square to the city's leafy Castle Park. On the water, hundreds of sailing vessels, from historic ships and boats to pleasure yachts and harbour ferries will provide a colourful backdrop to Bristol's annual celebration of its maritime heritage. Free for all.

 

Bristol International Balloon Fiesta: A firm favourite in Bristol's seasonal calendar, the fiesta will once again return to the rolling hills of the Ashton Court Estate between 8 and 11 August. This free world-class hot air ballooning festival was rewarded by Visit England in 2012 as one of the country's best top three tourism events. More than 100 balloons will take to Bristol's skies during an early morning mass ascent from 6am on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the weekend, whilst the spectacular nightglows take place on Thursday and Friday evenings with over 30 balloons glowing in time to music. Car parking charges apply.

 

Bristol International Festival of Kites and Air Creations: Another free sky-high event taking place at Ashton Court during Gromit Unleashed, this festival promises to entertain visitors with spectacular flying displays, kite fighting battles, breath-taking synchronised routines flown to music and awesome power kites as well as colourful ground-based inflatables and air sculptures of all shapes and sizes between 31 August and 1 September. Car parking charges apply.

 

DinoZoo2 at Bristol Zoo Gardens: Dinosaurs have made a come-back to Bristol Zoo Gardens by popular demand and will entertain visitors throughout the summer. These residents will include some of the world's most popular dinosaur species, such as the Tyrannosaurus Rex, Triceratops, Dilophosaurus baby and the long-necked Brachiosaurus, all of which will be brought to life using mechanical technology and animatronics. DinoZoo2 is open every day until 8 September and entry is free with normal zoo admission.

 

To keep up to date with the latest news on Gromit Unleashed, visit www.gromit-unleashed.org.uk, and for more information on Bristol including places to stay, go to www.visitbristol.co.uk.

 

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For further information and high resolution images, please contact Anna Slade at Destination Bristol on 0117 946 2205 or email anna.slade@destinationbristol.co.uk.

 

Notes to Editor

 

About Aardman

Aardman, based in Bristol (UK) co-founded and run by Peter Lord and David Sproxton, is a world leader in animation. It produces feature films, television series and television commercials for both the domestic and international market. Their multi-award winning productions are novel, entertaining, brilliantly characterised and full of charm that reflects the unique talent, energy and personal commitment of the very special people who make up the Aardman team. The studio's work is often imitated and yet the company continues to lead the field producing a rare brand of visually stunning and amusing independent and commercial productions.

 

About Destination Bristol

Destination Bristol is the destination management partnership for Bristol & South Gloucestershire, a joint venture between Bristol City Council and Business West. The organisation works with over 600 major businesses and strategic partners with the aim of increasing business competitiveness within the city centre, supporting employment and economic growth, and raising the profile of the Bristol city region as a world-class place to visit, study and live.

 

Wallace & Gromit's Grand Appeal

Wallace & Gromit's Grand Appeal fundraises to support sick children and babies at Bristol Children's Hospital and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at St. Michael's Hospital, Bristol.

Founded in 1995, the Appeal has raised over £21 million towards the first purpose built children's hospital in the UK and continues to support by funding pioneering medical care and equipment, arts, music and play programmes and accommodation for the sickest children and their families.

Bristol Children's Hospital is one of the UK's leading children's hospitals and treats young patients from across the South West, South Wales and beyond with life-threatening illnesses and serves as the paediatric intensive care centre for the whole South West region. The hospital is the regions specialist centre for a range of services including cardiac and renal treatment, complex surgeries and bone marrow transplants, treating over 100,000 patients every year.

All funds from 'Gromit Unleashed' will go towards the charity's appeal to support the expansion of Bristol Children's Hospital, one of the leading multi-disciplinary children's hospitals in the UK. The Grand Appeal has pledged to raise an initial £3.5 million for state-of-the-art equipment, family facilities and child-friendly artwork to enhance the £30 million investment by the NHS.

 

Wallace & Gromit's Grand Appeal needs your help to ensure that we can continue to support sick children from the South West and beyond. Find out how you can help by visiting www.grandappeal.org.uk