The steady drizzle from a grey Manchester sky might be a dampener for some holidaymakers in the city but not for me. Indeed, this Lancashire city is the place to “bee” with the streets buzzing with the Bee in the City Art Trail that kicked off here at the end of July.
Along this fun trail, over a hundred eye-popping fibreglass sculptures of bees can be seen at key landmarks around the city centre and surrounding suburbs. I had my first glimpse of one of these super-sized insects at the Whitworth Art Gallery. Charged up, I made a beeline for Piccadilly Gardens and the Visitor Centre by the tram stop there, to pick up a map detailing the locations of the arty bees. Thereafter, it was one hectic afternoon spent looking closely at flower pots, signposts and tile artwork — wherever that iconic insect, The Manchester Bee, was most likely to appear.
Abuzz with unity
The bee sculptures celebrate the unique spirit of Manchester, from its industrial heritage to its now vibrant music scene. Often referred to as the ‘worker bee’, the icon was first adopted as a motif for Manchester in the 18th century, during England’s Industrial Revolution, when the city was a hive of activity and the bee came to symbolise its hard-working denizens.
Later, it was included on the crest of the city’s coat of arms and also came to adorn the Town Hall and Refuge Assurance clock tower, the tallest structure in the city for many years. Since then, the worker bee has become ubiquitous and is featured across Manchester’s most famous buildings and brands.
The bee symbol received an impetus after last year’s terror attack, in which 22 people were killed at an Ariana Grande concert. Reinforced and revitalised, it has come to represent, in its latest avatar, Manchester’s indomitable spirit and the community’s resilience in the face of adversity.
The art trail was timed to coincide with the peak of the holiday season, so as to involve schoolchildren in what is the biggest mass public participation event in recent memory. Adding zest to the giant bees created by local artists are the colonies of mini bees designed by schoolchildren and youth groups, connecting people of all ages and occupations in a unique collective effort that celebrates the best of Manchester.
At the end of the art trail, the ‘bees’ will be auctioned for charity