Press Release: Giant Snowdog Installed at London Victoria Station Today to Promote New

Date: 22nd September 2016

Press Release: Giant Snowdog installed at London Victoria Station today to promote new Brighton art trail

Commuters at London Victoria Station were in for a big surprise this morning as a giant Snowdog statue named ‘Brighton Belle’ has made her home on the concourse near the south coast platforms.

Brighton Belle is one of a pack of 45 giant Snowdog statues which will be positioned around Brighton & Hove this weekend, creating a unique, interactive public art trail, Snowdogs by the Sea, which runs from Saturday 24th September until Sunday 27th November 2016.

Brighton Belle travelled to the capital from Brighton overnight after being revealed at a glittering launch event hosted DJ Norman Cook (AKA Fatboy Slim) for Snowdogs by the Sea. She will remain at London Victoria Station for eight weeks to promote the trail, which is raising funds for Martlets Hospice, before returning to the city to be reunited with her pack.

Happily ensconced beneath the escalators, against a Brighton-inspired backdrop, Brighton Belle features the city’s iconic architecture as well as its newest attraction, British Airways i360, the world’s tallest moving observation tower which was conceived and designed by Marks Barfield Architects.

Sponsors British Airways i360 named her ‘Brighton Belle’ in honour of the London to Brighton Pullman train which once connected the capital with the coast. Station-users taking a selfie with Brighton Belle and sharing it with British Airways i360 via @BA_i360 on Twitter or @BA_i360 with the hashtag #helloBrightonBello on Instagram, will be entered into a weekly competition to win a pair of tickets for British Airways i360.*

The magical sculpture trail has been inspired by the animated short film and book, The Snowman™ and The Snowdog, which was the sequel to the much-loved, The Snowman™, written originally by Sussex-based author, Raymond Briggs. It is being organised by Brighton charity, Martlets Hospice, in conjunction with Wild in Art, one of the UK’s leading creative producers of public art events. The idea follows similar projects run by Wild in Art in Birmingham and Bristol. At the end of the event the Snowdogs will be auctioned to raise funds for Martlets Hospice, which provides life-changing care for people living through a terminal illness in and around Brighton & Hove. Snowdogs by the Sea is expected to raise significant funds for the hospice and will attract tens of thousands of visitors to Brighton & Hove in the autumn.

Different artists have created each Snowdog and artistic inspiration has come from a variety of sources: from pop legends, such as Bowie (‘Bow Wow’ by Mike Edwards) and the Kinks (‘Lola’ by Devon Bhurke), to the Victorian’s puritanical desire to prevent naked bathing on Brighton’s fashionable seafront (Bathing Beauty, Judith Berrill). Brighton Belle was created by artist Jenny Leonard.

Snowdogs by the Sea is being supported by a number of Brighton celebrities. DJ Norman Cook, AKA Fatboy Slim, has commissioned well-known street artist, RYCA, to create his Snowdog (Boomer), whilst crime author, Peter James, has a police themed Snowdog in a nod to his bestselling series, Detective Superintendent Roy Grace.

Imelda Glackin, Martlets Hospice CEO said: “Having the British Airways i360 Snowdog at Victoria Station is very exciting, as, not only will it bring a smile to people on their daily commute, but, it will encourage even more visitors to Brighton and Hove and to the Snowdogs by the Sea trail, which in turn will benefit all of our Snowdog sponsors and ultimately the Hospice.”

Eleanor Harris, British Airways i360 CEO, said: “The Snowdogs by the Sea art trail is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the creativity of Brighton and Hove to locals and visitors alike, while also raising essential funds for Martlets Hospice. We are particularly excited that the British Airways i360 Snowdog, Brighton Belle, is at London Victoria Station to welcome passengers onto the Brighton train.” *British Airways i360 will give away one pair of tickets every week for nine weeks (24th September 2016 – 27th November 2016) to the person winning the weekly ‘Selfie with Brighton Belle Snowdog’ competition.

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For more information and images about Snowdogs by the Sea, contact Ruth Cobb [email protected], T: 07957 254 582 or Lucy Brandram [email protected] T: 01273 718783

For more information about British Airways i360, contact Emily Bamber, PR and Communications Manager E [email protected] | T 01273 448363

NOTES TO EDITORS

About the Martlets Hospice and Snowdogs by the Sea

Martlets has teamed up with Wild in Art to stage an extraordinary public art trail in Brighton & Hove. The magical sculpture trail will feature more than 40 large-scale Snowdog sculptures, inspired by the much loved animated short film, The Snowman and The Snowdog. The sculptures beautifully decorated by artists and generously sponsored by local businesses, will be on show this autumn in streets, parks and surprising locations around Brighton & Hove. They will be joined by a pack of mini Snowdog puppies designed by local school children. After the art trail has finished, the Snowdog sculptures will be auctioned to raise funds for Martlets Hospice. In addition, at the same time a further trail of specially created Snowdogs will also go on display throughout the streets, parks and public spaces of Newcastle, Gateshead, North Tyneside, Sunderland and South Shields as part of Great North Snowdogs presented by St Oswald's Hospice. Martlets is a charity that cares for people living through a terminal illness in and around Brighton and Hove. We’re much more than a hospice and we’re working to change perceptions of hospice care. Today, most of our patients receive care in their own home. Our hospice in Hove is a place where patients and their families can use our therapeutic services, drop-in clinics, visit our in-patient unit or just sit and have a coffee in our café. Our community teams care for people living and dying at home. Families and loved ones are supported into bereavement. We run a 24/7 helpline for free, personal support, this is a collaboration between Martlets and the Sussex Community Trust’s palliative care team. Our care is only free thanks to the generosity of local people; every donation will help us change lives. Registered Charity number 802145.

About Wild in Art Wild in Art is one of the UK’s leading creative producers or mass-appeal public art events, which engage residents and tourists alike, through the creation of citywide trails of uniquely painted sculptures. From crashes of rhinos in Sydney and parliaments of owls in Birmingham to BookBenches in London and Commonwealth Games Clyde mascots in Glasgow, Wild in Art events have animated cities and enthralled people the world over, raising over £8m for charity partners along the way. Wild in Art also provide unique art education resources which engage and inspire young people and enhance learning across the curriculum. Wild in Art 2016 events and projects: Pigs Gone Wild (Ipswich), The Great Big Rhino Project (Paignton), Pride of Paisley (Paisley), Herd of Sheffield (Sheffield), Snowdogs by the Sea (Brighton & Hove), Great North Snowdogs (Tyne & Wear), Oor Wullie’s Bucket Trail (Dundee), The Big Read (Birmingham).

W: www.wildinart.co.uk | T: @Wild_in_art | #WildinArt Media contact for Wild in Art: Sarah Bartram | E: [email protected] | T: 01663 308088

About The Snowman™ and The Snowdog

Originally published in 1978, The Snowman, created and illustrated by Raymond Briggs has become one of the world’s most popular children’s books. Available in 15 languages it has sold in excess of 8.5 million copies worldwide with over 3 million of these sales in the UK published under Puffin editions. Adapted for screen by producer John Coates, the Oscar-nominated animation launched on Channel 4 in its inaugural year in 1982 and has been repeated every Christmas since. The sequel, The Snowman and The Snowdog premiered on Channel 4 on Christmas Eve 2012 and was seen by over 10 million people over the festive period. The Snowman brand enjoys an international audience with global broadcast of the sequel, along with an array of consumer products now available. Snowman Enterprises Limited (SEL) is a Penguin owned company.

PR for Snowman Enterprises Ltd: Jen Cooper, Jen Cooper Communications | E: [email protected] | M: +44 7771712149

About British Airways i360 British Airways i360 is conceived and designed by Marks Barfield Architects, creators of the London Eye.

With an overall height of 162m, and a glass observation pod that glides up from ground level to 138m above Brighton beach, British Airways i360 is the world’s tallest moving observation tower and the world’s first vertical cable car. Visitors enjoy unprecedented unfolding views across Brighton & Hove, the South Downs and the beautiful south coast. While on board, guests can enjoy a drink at the Nyetimber Sky Bar which serves a range of drinks from Sussex including Nyetimber, an award-winning sparkling wine.

At the base of the tower is the British Airways i360 beach building which houses a stylish restaurant, The BelleVue Brighton, with sea views and a large terrace. Menus have been developed with Steven Edwards, former winner of Masterchef: The Professionals, and feature ingredients sourced from the local area. The beach building also has flexible beachside events spaces which can be hired for private functions and can accommodate between 10 and 1,000 people. British Airways i360 is licensed for weddings and couples carry marry in the pod, saying ‘I do’ at 138m above Sussex.

The British Airways i360 shop stocks gifts and souvenirs, many of which have been created by local Brighton artists.

British Airways i360 has worked with the West Pier Trust to reconstruct two of the original West Pier tollbooths using Victorian building techniques. The reconstructed buildings now grace the entrance to British Airways i360, and house The West Pier Tea Room and the British Airways i360 ticket office.

British Airways i360 holds the Guinness World Record for the World’s Most Slender Tower, with a diameter of just 3.9 meters at its widest point. www.britishairwaysi360.com Twitter: @BA_i360 Instagram: @BA_i360 Facebook: BritishAirwaysi360 Pinterest: @BA_i360 Hashtag: #bai360

About Marks Barfield Architects David Marks and Julia Barfield are the architect-entrepreneurs behind the creation of British Airways i360. They founded the company in 2005 and are its majority shareholders. Previously they performed a similar role creating the London Eye where they remained shareholders and directors until 2006. Together with a tight-knit group of extraordinary individuals, trusted consultants and companies, many of whom worked with David and Julia at the London Eye, they secured the planning permission, partners, land and funding for British Airways i360. Marks Barfield Architects is one of the UK’s most versatile and innovative architecture practices, established in 1989. David chairs the British Airways i360 board. www.marksbarfield.com @marksbarfield

About British Airways British Airways is one of the world’s leading global premium airlines and the UK’s largest international scheduled airline, carrying approximately 35 million passengers worldwide annually, on around 800 daily flights. The airline employs around 40,000 people, the vast majority of these at its sites throughout the UK, and has an annual turnover of £8.5 billion. It employs 2,500 people in Sussex, several hundred of them in Brighton. www.ba.com @british_airways