Elephants parade into Gateshead with intu

Elephant Parade makes its UK debut at Gateshead this week for a four-week stay at intu Metrocentre. In addition to the national touring herd, more than 500 design ideas have been submitted from Gateshead schools, with six entries gaining commissions to create elephants that will join the Elephant Parade UK tour. 

The six elephants chosen for the Gateshead leg of the tour include Our North East Hero, an elephant inspired by the many landmarks around the Gateshead area and Unik (Unique), an elephant designed by the Tim Lamb Children’s Centre which incorporates a mixture of disabilities into the design. Designs from school children in Surrey, Watford and Manchester have already featured.

Over the course of the tour, more than 70 schools will create elephants that will stand alongside creations by top professional artists and celebrities – including the likes of Claudia Schiffer, BBC’s Alex Jones, Mercy Delta and Rylan Clark.

Trevor Pereira, Commercial Director at tour sponsor intu commented: “Across the UK, the Elephant Parade national tour will feature designs of school children giving a huge platform for tomorrow’s home-grown artistic talent, whilst also raising awareness of the importance of elephant conservation in the classroom. Across the UK we have been blown away by the sheer imagination, confidence and surprise of many of the designs and in many cases the children’s designs have also acted as an inspiration for the adult artists. A national tour with local colour, we are delighted to present the national art expo across our UK shopping centres and make a real difference to the communities in which we operate.”