A public art sculpture trail, featuring 50 x 6ft-high colourfully decorated rats, is assessing suitable locations in the Bridlington area, with the opportunity for up to 5 in the town itself, plus possible sites in nearby areas such as Flamborough, Sewerby, Sledmere, Burton Agnes, Filey and Scarborough.
‘A Mischief of Rats’ pays tribute to 1960s East Yorkshire band The Rats which included guitarist Mick Ronson who went on the play with the legendary David Bowie.
Ronson sadly died at the age of 46 from cancer and the project hopes to raise £250,000 for the region’s advanced medical PET-CT scanner charity at Castle Hill Hospital.
The Rats reconnaissance team is scouting for suitable locations and is also hoping to secure local organisations to sponsor the uniquely decorated sculptures.
Previous trails of puffins. moths and toads have attracted thousands of visitors seeking selfies with the creative creatures and raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity.
A Mischief of Rats will be deployed across East Yorkshire next summer (2025).
Locations are being assessed for the latest public art initiative to be released across East Yorkshire next year which will create a trail of 50 distinctly decorated six-foot high Rats.
Following hot on the heels of Puffins Galore, A Moth for Amy and Larkin Toads, which have raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for local charities, the ‘Mischief of Rats’ will be unleashed in the summer of 2025 as a tribute to 60’s band The Rats, whose local musicians included Mick Ronson, probably best known as lead guitarist with David Bowie’s ‘Spiders from Mars’.
“This is the most radical animal sculpture trail yet,” stated the project’s co-director, Rick Welton. “A Mischief of Rats will see up to 50 giant artist decorated rat sculptures finding homes across East Yorkshire and Hull next Summer. The Grand Charity Auction at the end of the trail will raise much needed funds to support the vital work of the Castle Hill Hospital based charity, The Daisy Appeal, which helps advanced and detailed detection of cancer, heart disease and dementia through highly advanced PET-CT scanning techniques.”
Previous trails have proved highly successful with the public and have attracted thousands of visitors to discover the unique colourful sculptures decorated by a wide variety of artists.
Claire Levy, fund-raising manager for the Daisy Appeal said:
“We are really excited that A Mischief of Rats will be raising substantial funds in such an imaginative and high-profile initiative. The auction proceeds will be used to support our cutting-edge research and to purchase state-of-the-art equipment and facilities that are so important to improving the life-chances of patients living with cancer, heart disease and dementia in our region.”
In September 2025 there will be a Grand Charity Auction of the sculptures, which, along with profits from any merchandise sold, could raise up to £250,000.
