Words by Abi Scaife
Have you ever seen an elephant covered in art?
Maybe a cow? Or a bear?
If so, you’ll have seen the work of Wild in Art, creator of public art trails and the stealthiest art display in the world.
We spoke to Charlie Langhorn, co-founder and Managing Director of Wild in Art, and brilliant philanthropist, to hear more about how this explosion of art is giving back to the world.
Wild in Art is a commercial organisation that makes art accessible and uses it as a vessel to give back to charity.
“Our first event was in Liverpool in 2008 where we created an event called Go Superlambanana” explains Charlie. “I think we left the Lord Mayor's charity bill [at] some half a million pounds.”
Artists are commissioned to create incredible art on three-dimensional sculptures - some of these are branded, like their Wild in Art 2024 Shaun the Sheep trail, others are animals or maybe even objects. These sculptures, decorated in a kaleidoscope of colour and fun, are turned into a trail around a town or city, for people to follow.
“A lot of people don't consider themselves ‘art people’, and they'll never go into a gallery. We take the art from the gallery and put it onto a street corner,” says Charlie. “Now, the fact that it's on the side of an elephant, a rocket, a lighthouse, a hare, or a tortoise … it gets people engaging with the art almost by stealth.”
Families, couples, friends, or even just the lone walker, will follow the trail to find each sculpture, following along on the Wild in Art free app. They are able to ‘collect’ the sculptures as they follow the trail along the built-in app, and even unlock fun rewards along the way.
Alongside getting people involved in art, the trails are also brilliant for physical health.
Charlie admits: “We never really thought about that. But then the Director of Public Health in Birmingham said it was the single largest health intervention the city. [We] realised that you sometimes get millions of people following the trail, each [exercising].”
During one of Wild in Art’s trails, Oor Wullie’s BIG Bucket Trail in Scotland, the average distance walked by app users was 11 miles. It might not have been the intention behind Wild in Art, but it is certainly making a difference.
“You've also got the mental health element. People visit the trail on average in a party size of four, so often a family or mates go out,” adds Charlie. “So people are out there having that shared experience. And I think that shared experience … there’s something great about that. It's shared amongst your friends and family. It's shared with society.”
One of the biggest and best things about Wild in Art is the auctions - at the end of each trail, the sculptures are auctioned off to raise money for charities. They have partnered with charities like Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS), Keech Hospice Care and Guide Dogs to help raise awareness, and funds, for some incredible causes.
Since 2008, the organisation has enabled over £25.3 million to be raised for charities through auctions, with a further £15 million raised from additional fundraising.
“We've raised over £26.5 million just from the auctions,” estimates Charlie. “I always say to our charity partners that it's not just about the fundraising because actually it can be so much more; three things under the acronym of AIR.”
AIR stands for Awareness, Income and Relationships; it’s pretty self-explanatory, but a really great way for charities to think about how they can best utilise their communities and create a committed group of supporters.
Charlie says: “We're a commercial organisation. I make no bones out of that. But I and the team are immensely proud of the fundraising that is enabled around the trails, and it will always be an absolutely fundamental part of what we do.”
“Yes, you've got a free trail for members of the public, but ultimately, you're supporting a great local cause as well, and I think that's really important.”
Wild in Art is a bright and brilliant mix of purpose; it is free, accessible art, it is a way to explore your local community, it brings people together and, when all that is said and done, it helps to donate to charity. What can be better than that?
To find your nearest Wild in Art trail, you can check out their website.
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.
Create. Create is the UK's leading charity empowering lives, reducing isolation and enhancing wellbeing through the creative arts. Support them here.
English Heritage. This charity cares for over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places - from world-famous prehistoric sites to grand medieval castles. Learn more here.
National Trust. This is Europe’s biggest conservation charity, looking after nature, beauty and history for everyone to enjoy. Find out more.
This article aligns with the UN SDG Partnerships for the Goals.
