‘Flock to the Show’ public art campaign to celebrate return of world shearing championships
Agricultural charity calls for artists to take part in Scotland-wide public awareness campaign
To celebrate the return of Golden Shears world sheep shearing championships to the Royal Highland Show in 2023, the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) is launching a large-scale public art campaign across Scotland, titled ‘Flock to the Show’.
The campaign will feature over 30 specially designed sheep sculptures forming a free discovery trail for local people and visitors of all ages across Scotland to explore, enjoy and learn about Scotland’s long history of sheep farming as well as challenges faced by the sector in 2022.
Each sculpture will be sponsored by local businesses, community groups and education organisations. They will tour across Scotland to form 4 unique trails in both rural and urban locations during April-May 2023.
They will be decorated by local artists, raising awareness of emerging Scottish artistic talent. Interested artists can apply online at royalhighlandshow.org from Monday 12th September.
If all the sculptures are visited, prizes such as tickets to the 2023 Royal Highland Show and the chance to present a prize there will be on offer.
The flock shall return to the Royal Highland Show during the Golden Shears in June 2023, which will be the only time the public will see the sculptures together in one place.
Following the Golden Shears, the flock will be auctioned at a special event to raise funds that will support the Royal Highland & Agricultural Society of Scotland Bicentennial Fund, which will fund projects dedicated to sustainability in the rural sector.
The flock will then scatter and find new homes across the world, ensuring a fitting legacy for the Golden Shears.
RHASS Chairman, Jim Warnock, commented:
“This exciting project will go a long way to raising awareness of Scotland’s long history with sheep farming and engaging the public with it in a fun, interactive way, as well as highlighting the issues facing farmers today.
“As a charity, the funds raised from the auction of the completed sculptures will contribute to the work of RHASS and its charitable remit, which includes support of other essential charities like the Royal Highland Education Trust and RSABI.”
To find out more about Flock to the Show and how to get involved, visit royalhighlandshow.org.