A colourful herd of elephants is visiting our fine city this month and will be greeting shoppers at one of Norwich's malls.
Lily Pepper, Kiku, Razzle Dazzle and the rest of the trunked gang moved into Chapelfield on Sunday night and will be dotted around the shopping centre until Sunday May 4.
There are about 30 adult elephant sculptures in the Elephant Parade, which is visiting Norwich as part of a national tour, and a special new addition was unveiled at yesterday's Norwich launch.
Beethoven – created by boy band Union J and Norfolk artist Martin Wall – is the newest recruit and features a design that blends music and sport. Meanwhile a second elephant with a celebrity link is Forest, which is designed by model Claudia Schiffer.
And also joining the adult members of the herd are seven baby elephants that have been created by Norfolk schoolchildren. They are on display in their own gallery in Chapelfield, along with an array of other elephant designs created by Norfolk youngsters.
Sheridan Smith, marketing manager at intu Chapelfield, said the centre was delighted to host the herd for four weeks and had lots of activities planned around the elephants and the trail.
'The 30 professionally painted elephants are all amazing works of art in their own right and it's great we have got a new elephant by Union J joining the parade,' she said.
'The school pupils also did a great job – because everybody worked so hard we decided to do a gallery of all the designs created. The designs are so good and it's lovely that pupils from all over Norfolk took part.'
The baby elephants on display are: Lugs, by Tom Taylor, six, from Forncett Primary and also including part of Lily Allum's design; Where's Nelly? by Kimberley Wells, 17, from Great Yarmouth College; Charlotte by Saule Juskeviciute, 14, from The Hewett School, in Norwich; Skye by Ilana O'Neill, nine, from Roydon Primary School; Bubble, by Shannon Holland, six, from Reepham Primary School; Lupita, by Caitlyn Anthony, 13, from Smithdon High School, Hunstanton; and Sathi Ganesh, designed by children at Sparhawk Infant and Nursery School at Sprowston.
Since 2007 there have been 14 Elephant Parades around the world, and the art exhibitions of decorated elephant statues seek to raise public awareness and support for Asian elephant conservation.Over the Easter school holidays, intu Chapelfield will be celebrating the Elephant Parade's visit with a range of free elephant-themed activities.
As well as enjoying the parade, visitors will be able to create their own 'Natural Norfolk' elephant designs, take part in an Eye Spy elephant trail and join in with elephant arts and crafts on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
The Elephant Parade Shop will also run workshops where shoppers can buy and paint their own mini elephant in store.
Visit www.intuelephantparade.co.uk.
Do you have a story about an art project in Norwich? Email arts correspondent Emma Knights at emma.knights@archant.co.uk
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