Giant rat trail to honour Bowie guitarist Mick Ronson
By Simon Bristow, Co-Editor
They are one of the least popular animals, but a trail of giant rats is coming to Hull in honour of musician Mick Ronson, while also raising money for health charity the Daisy Appeal.
A total of 50 6ft-high rat sculptures will be installed across Hull and East Yorkshire in summer 2025 as part of the project A Mischief of Rats.
The team behind it has successfully delivered other big public art projects including Larkin with Toads, A Moth for Amy, and Puffins Galore.
Before achieving stardom as lead guitarist in David Bowie’s Spiders from Mars, Ronson was in 60s Hull band The Rats.
Local businesses and organisations are being invited to sponsor a rat for £4,500, which will help cover the costs of developing, creating, managing and promoting the trail.
In September next year there will be an auction of the sculptures, which it is hoped could raise up to £250,000 for the Daisy Appeal.
“This is the most radical animal sculpture trail yet,” said the project 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.”
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.”
To sponsor a rat or find out more call Rick Welton on 07411 272367, email rick@amischiefofrats.co.uk or visit the website www.amischiefofrats.co.uk