Wanted: Temporary home for giant puffins!

Pre-decorated puffin sculptures

The culture crew which was behind the release of dozens of decorative toads and moths onto the streets of Hull and East Yorkshire is appealing for help from commercial property owners and agents as it prepares to unleash a parade of puffins.

Organisers of Puffins Galore! are ready to take delivery of 40 giant models of the much-loved seabirds which will be painted up and then placed at towns and landmarks to create a new sculpture trail across the region.

But the first task is to find the giant puffins a temporary home where the artists can work to transform the birds into a colourful, eye-catching attraction – just as they did for Larkin with Toads in 2010 and A Moth for Amy, part of the Amy Johnson Festival in 2016.

Clare Huby, Co-Director of Puffins Galore! said “We really hope that we can find a business in Hull with available storage space where our puffins can be given a magical makeover and live safely until they are ready to be installed as part of the Puffins Galore! trail.

“Ideally, we need an area of around 3,000 sq ft with lorry access and big practical doors so that our puffin crane can get in and out. Running water and toilet facilities would be great, but not essential.

“It would only be for temporary use for two months until the artists have finished their work and the puffins are ready to fly the nest to their new homes at coastal communities and attractions from Flamborough Head to Spurn Point as well as to inland towns and villages of East Yorkshire.

Larkin with Toads

“We’d love to hear from anybody who can help. We know from our work on Larkin with Toads and A Moth for Amy that businesses themselves benefit from supporting the project, generating excitement among staff and media interest to help raise business profile.”

The sculptures, which stand 1.5 metres tall, are due to be delivered in early-March. Each puffin will then be decorated in its own design selected from the wonderfully creative submissions from artists who have responded to the brief of telling a story of the East Coast, its local wildlife, green energy and climate change.

Sponsors who sign up to be part of the trail will choose from the gallery before the sculptures head off to their Puffins Galore! locations in mid-May.

Clare added: “Puffins Galore! is all about harnessing the popularity of the birds which are a big attraction along the Yorkshire coast and we’re sure it will tempt visitors from near and far to the area. We’ve had a great response from businesses who want to sponsor a puffin and we hope we can find someone who can spare the space to house what promises to be a spectacular artistic transformation.”

Anyone who can help should contact Clare at clare@puffinsgalore.co.uk or call 07525 332536.

For more information about Puffins Galore! visit www.puffinsgalore.co.uk