Around 60,000 people followed in the footsteps of Morph on a world first art trail unveiled in North Tyneside dedicated to the iconic plasticine character – providing a much needed boost to the local economy.
Morph’s Epic Art Adventure was unveiled at the end of January and featured 20 individually designed sculptures dotted in and around the borough’s town centres. The colourful life-sized models of the Aardman and TV favourite formed a trail taking in Whitley Bay, Tynemouth, Cullercoats, North Shields, Wallsend, Killingworth, and Forest Hall.
The models were finally removed on April 3 ahead of hopefully setting off on another adventure to some other UK location. In the nine weeks the Morph models graced North Tyneside, the council said the official app and interactive map was downloaded thousands of times with an estimated 60,000 people taking part in the trail itself.
Read more: Kids' favourite Morph comes face-to-face with human-sized models in his own image
Families posted their experiences in huge numbers on social media with some travelling from around the country to find the sculptures inspired by the loveable and mischievous Morph, who first leapt out of artist and presenter Tony Hart’s pencil box in 1977 on the popular BBC children’s art show, Take Hart, and has recently begun streaming on Sky Kids, ensuring his popularity across the generations.
Among the visitors was Morph creator and Aardman co-founder Peter Lord, who flew up from Bristol in March to see the trail for himself, bringing along a plasticine replica of his famous creation he had made on the journey to the North East. He met fellow visitors and business owners in Whitley Bay, which hosted six of the models, including one of the most popular showing Morph wearing a tiger onesie positioned on the esplanade at Spanish City.
Morph’s Epic Art Adventure – which followed The Snowman and The Snowdog Trail across North Tyneside during the winter of 2020 – has proved so successful that more trails are being looked at, although no details are as yet available.
A North Tyneside Council spokeswoman confirmed: “More trails are in the pipeline as they’re a great way to support businesses, attract visitors and get people out and about for fresh air and exercise.”
Karen Goldfinch, Chair of North Tyneside Business Forum, has hailed the trail a success. She said: “At what's a traditionally quiet trading time of year for businesses it's been good to see this event bringing footfall to our town centres. Seeing families out enjoying themselves, finding new businesses they didn't know about, buying a coffee, enjoying a meal out or buying from a local shop is so good to see.”
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She added that having the Morph trail in the borough had been apt as plasticine was invented in 1897 for use by his students by William Harbutt, who was born in North Shields. She added: “We've a strong connection with art and the creative industries here and using local artists to create these figures is inspiring the next generation to continue in these footsteps.”
Lucy and Paul Hull run For the Love of the North art and gift shop at Spanish City. They had the Tiger Morph opposite their shop with the couple enjoying their busiest January and February trading period ever.
Lucy said: “Last year we were in lockdown, but this year we have had our busiest first couple of the months of the year ever. Is that a coincidence? I think the Morph trail has had a really positive effect and that it has brought people to North Tyneside who wouldn’t usually come at what can be a quiet time of the year.
“We had the Tiger Morph opposite the shop and people were buzzing when they saw it. I could see children running up to Morph and hugging him. And you could tell the people were were doing the trail, who had been to Cullercoats and then come on to Whitley Bay to spot him.
“We are going to miss Morph and we really hope the council comes up with something similar. As an art shop there was a really nice link between the Morph trail and us. It’s accessible art, especially for children.”
Funding for Morph’s Epic Art Adventure came from the North of Tyne Combined Authority and it was created by Wild in Art.
