Giant Owl sculptures to raise funds for local charities this summer

By Nick Batten on 14 February, 2018

100 individually decorated large and smaller owl sculptures are to be displayed in and around the streets of Bath this summer for a three-month public art event to “celebrate Bath’s Roman heritage” and raise funds for local charities.

Minerva’s Owls of Bath 2018 – which was officially launched at The Roman Baths on 6 February – will be the latest public art sculpture trail from the team that brought the city the “enormously popular” Lions of Bath in 2010 and King Bladud’s Pigs in 2008.

The project takes its inspiration from the Roman Goddess Minerva, to whom the Roman Baths Temple was dedicated in the 1st century AD, and whose animal symbol was the ‘owl of wisdom.’

The large Owls, which are 1.1m tall and will perch on 40cm high plinths, will be sponsored by a wide range of businesses and organisations and transformed into “unique” works of art by artists, designers and celebrities. Smaller 75cm ‘Owlets’ will also be available exclusively for schools, community groups and charities to sponsor and decorate.

All the large Owls will be auctioned for charity in late October and the Owlets will go back to the schools and community groups that decorated them as a “lasting legacy” of the event.

100 percent of the event profits will be donated to four local charities – 70 percent to the Royal United Hospital’s new Cancer Centre and 30 percent to Bath Young Carers, the Roman Baths Archway Project and the UK Little Owl Project, which is based in Bath.

Minerva’s Owls event organiser, Megan Witty, said: “Events like this are a fantastic way of shining a spotlight on our region’s creativity and heritage, increasing visitor numbers, bringing colour and fun activities to the streets of Bath, and raising much-needed funds for local charities.”

Businesses and organisations interested in sponsoring an Owl are asked to get in touch with the organisers “as soon as possible” as sculpture numbers are limited. ‘Early bird’ sponsorship offers are available until 5 March 2018.

For more information or to download Sponsorship, Artist or Schools packs, visit the Minerva’s Owls website at www.minervasowls.org or contact the Owl team at info@minervasowls.org or follow @OwlsofBath on Twitter.

Pictured above: The owl sculptures and ‘Minerva’ portrayed by Miss Bath, Amelia Watt