Could you take our giraffe sculptures to new heights?

We’re looking for artists to transform our herd of giraffe sculptures into spectacular works of art to be admired by the city’s residents and visitors in spring next year!

Open to both professional and amateur artists, we want you to let your imagination run wild to bring theses 2.5m tall gentle giants to life. Submissions are open until midnight 30 April 2023 and designs should ideally fit into one of these themes or genres: Cambridge, graffiti, street and illustrative art, characters, mosaic and textured, contemporary and modern art, natural world and environment, science, innovation and technology.

“Seeing the creativity of artists as they come up with truly inspiring and eye-catching designs is the best part of the trail!” explains Break Partnerships Manager Ellie Edge. “We can’t wait to see the submissions. This is a fantastic chance for both new and established artists to be part of something that not only gives trail-goers an exciting new perspective of the city, but will also help us raise valuable funds to enable us to continue the work we do with young people. Artists have this unique opportunity to showcase their creative talent to thousands of people and work closely with our sponsors to bring colour and creativity to the streets of Cambridge next spring.”

Artist Mik Richardson has created nearly 100 sculptures, 18 of which were for Break and to date has raised over £400,000 for various charities across the UK. He helped create ‘Make Sense of What You See’ - one of the first sculptures designed by the agency behind the Cambridge Standing Tall brand 10 Creative. Commenting on why he continues to support the trails, he says: 

 “I love being part of these trails and I’d encourage anyone, whether you’re a professional or an amateur artist, to have a go. It’s a great way to be able to give back to your community, whilst also having your own free gallery! As an artist all you want is for people to see your work and it’s lovely seeing people out enjoying them, but it’s also a fantastic to be able to bring awareness to the charity and the work they do, and these trails really help them to raise an incredible amount of money. It really is an incredible experience!”

All proceeds from the trail will go towards supporting young care leavers, who have to leave care at just 18, and will mean that Break can be with them on their journey towards independence for as long as they need. Cambridge is home to the charity’s pioneering Staying Close, Staying Connected service, where young care leavers are supported into independence and beyond by providing good quality housing so they'll always have a roof over their heads and giving them opportunities to truly flourish and shine.

For artists interested in submitting a design more information can be found on the Cambridge Standing Tall Artists page here.