Newcastle’s Crowne Plaza hotel was hopping last night as a fluffle of rabbits took over the venue – though not the fluffy kind you might expect. These two‑legged bunnies were our brilliant trail sponsors, gathered for the most exciting Tales on the Tyne event so far: the Artist and Sponsor Matching Evening.
All shortlisted designs, submitted by talented artists from across the region and beyond, were displayed in a vibrant exhibition for sponsors to view. Their mission was simple in theory but tricky in practice: choose their favourite design so the artist could be commissioned to bring it to life for the trail.
Of course, that sounded far too straightforward… so we introduced The Bunny Hop.
After plenty of deliberation, last‑minute mind‑changing, and a touch of good‑natured panic, sponsors were ushered behind a ribbon and briefed by St Oswald’s Hospice Head of Fundraising, Jane Hogan. Following an instructional video (for sponsor eyes only, as requested by Jane), the competitors took their marks. At the signal, they hopped, full bunny style, to claim their chosen Peter Rabbit design, placing their sticker on their first pick.
There was plenty of Peter Rabbit‑inspired mischief…
But by the end of the hop every sponsor had successfully matched with their perfect rabbit, and our final designs were confirmed. While the chosen artworks remain top secret for now, the selected artists will begin transforming their sculptures from the beginning of April.
We’ll be sharing behind‑the‑scenes sneak peeks along the way, but the full designs won’t be revealed until the trail goes live on Wednesday 15 July.
A huge thank‑you to all the artists who submitted designs, to Crowne Plaza for hosting us, and to Big Purple for providing sound and lighting. Most of all, thank you to our trail sponsors, who threw themselves into the Bunny Hop with such enthusiasm. We hope you love your match and can’t wait to see the artists bring your rabbits to life.
Last chance to get involved!
We do have a few rabbits without a match, so are looking for a final few sponsors to join the fun.
If your company is interested in joining the trail, this is your last chance. Get in touch with the team to find out more and view the selection of designs available.
Visit the Sponsors page for more information or email sponsors@talesonthetyne.co.uk
Watch a recap of our Artist and Sponsor event on our Youtube
