\n The artwork, called The Big Hug, has been put in place at a new eco-park on the corner of Leeds Road and Laisterdyke.\n<\/p>\n
\n The sculpture – which will be seen by hundreds of thousands of people each year – was commissioned by Bradford-based arts and culture organisation, The Leap.\n<\/p>\n
\n Taking inspiration from nature, The Big Hug was created by Yorkshire-born artist John Merrill and co-designed with the input of around 400 adults and children locally.\n<\/p>\n
\n The sculpture is located on the corner of Leeds Road and Laisterdyke(Image: Asadour Guzelian)\n<\/p>\n
\n John said: “Conversations with the those living in the area\u00a0led us towards a sculpture that was focused on the importance of community and\u00a0the environment,\u00a0taking inspiration from nature,\u00a0looking at roots\u00a0– both physical and\u00a0metaphorical\u00a0– and\u00a0the\u00a0idea of family networks and family trees growing into something that is ready to\u00a0flourish, full of energy and potential.”\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
\n Zulf Ahmed, director of The Leap, said:\u00a0“The installation of this artwork is the culmination of years of planning and preparation.\n<\/p>\n
\n “The involvement of the community has been absolutely integral to delivering this project, which represents some of the themes and special characteristics of this city.\n<\/p>\n
\n “We’re so pleased that in this City of Culture year, we’re able to bring something new and inspiring to the famous Leeds Road corridor – a part of Bradford that is known for its strength through its diversity.”\n<\/p>\n
\n The Big Hug takes inspiration from nature(Image: Asadour Guzelian)\n<\/p>\n
\n Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s portfolio holder for regeneration, transport and planning, added:\u00a0“This artwork definitely enhances the natural area, which has been reclaimed at a busy junction.\n<\/p>\n
\n “It’s totally fitting for the environment it is based in and is testament to both the artist and community.\n<\/p>\n
\n “I’m sure many people will enjoy it over future years.”\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
\n The reclaimed oak sculpture sits on a plinth and has a total height of three metres.\n<\/p>\n
\n The sculpture has been praised for enhancing the natural area(Image: Asadour Guzelian)\n<\/p>\n
\n Weighing around four tonnes, it had to be lifted into place by a specialist haulier.\n<\/p>\n
\n The eco-park it is situated in has been described as a “natural oasis for the community”.\n<\/p>\n
\n “The space not only provides a much-needed green corridor but also delivers cleaner air, new habitats for wildlife, and a safe walking route for families, schoolchildren and local residents,” a spokesperson for the project added.\n<\/p>\n
\n The Big Hug project was joint funded by The Leap\u2019s main backer, Arts Council England, as well as\u00a0Natural England, Better Start Bradford and West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin’s Climate Action Fund.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The artwork, called The Big Hug, has been put in place at a new eco-park on the corner…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":159552,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[6225,6485,6486,1120,96,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-159551","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-design","tag-entertainment","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159551","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=159551"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159551\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/159552"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=159551"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=159551"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=159551"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}