The Yards Covent Garden reopens with a hive of art to discover
Longmartin Properties Ltd, a joint venture between Shaftesbury and the Mercers’ Company, has today revealed a series of striking art installations throughout The Yards to mark the launch of a new campaign, The Yards & The Bees, to welcome back visitors to Covent Garden.
The larger than life bee-themed installations have been placed throughout The Yards, to create a trail of artwork which visitors can now follow at their own leisure since reopening majority of its retailers on 15 June. Created by a handpicked selection of leading artists, the work itself has been inspired by London’s vast urban landscape and the humble bees that call it home; showcasing colourful, bold and oversized sculptures to a 50 ft floral mural and an immersive ‘honey factory’. The installations also celebrate The Yards’ very own colony of over 240,000 bees located in hives on the buildings’ rooftops as part of the destination’s continued efforts to protect the species, wildflowers are also planted throughout the area to encourage pollination.
The arrival of ‘The Yards and the Bees’ unique artworks mark the first in a series of activities designed to champion urban pollinators , with workshops and offers taking place throughout The Yards this summer. As part of this initiative, The Yards is supporting the Bee Friendly Trust, a charity which works to give all pollinators the habitats they need in order to thrive. Visitors can find out more about the Trust’s work via QR codes located around the site and proceeds from upcoming workshops will also be donated.
Commenting on behalf of Longmartin Properties Ltd, Simon Taylor, Property Director at the Mercers’ Company, added: “Throughout lockdown we have all become increasingly aware of our impact on the environment. As a central London landlord, we feel ‘The Yards & The Bees’ campaign will help increase awareness of this subject whilst also creating a sense of fun and interaction for our visitors, all set within a safe and secure environment. Our partnership with the Bees Friendly Trust is evidence that we are increasing our own efforts, whilst providing a bold and educational trail that visitors can come back and enjoy on every visit.”
Luke Dixon, founder of The Bee Friendly Trust, added: “A world without bees would mean fewer flowers and fewer foods on our plates. With this in mind it’s important to celebrate bees and other pollinators and recognise the need to provide habitats in which they can thrive. These don’t need to be large spaces, from pots sown with wildflowers seeds to patches of neglected land, whatever the size they can help support these important species.”
This news follows the reopening of retailers and restaurants in Covent Garden including, Boots, Levi’s, Jack Wills, Calvin Klein, Barbour, Cos, Dalla Terra and 28-50. Bills and Hawksmoor are both also due to open later in July followed soon by Dishoom Covent Garden, which is currently closed for the completion of the cafés redesign.
ENDS
For further information, please contact Amy Cassidy and Yasemin Kiani at Aver via: amycassidy@averpr.com and yaseminkiani@averpr.com
Notes to Editors
About The Yards
The Yards is a series of interconnecting courtyards and streets including St Martin’s Courtyard and Mercer Walk, just a two-minute walk from both Covent Garden and Leicester Square tube stations. An urban oasis in the heart of London’s West End, it’s home to an eclectic mix of shopping, dining and wellbeing experiences, including some of London’s best-loved restaurants, leading fashion brands and world- renowned lifestyle stores.
About The Bee Friendly Trust
The Bee Friendly Trust was founded in 2015 to give honey bees and other pollinators the habitats they need to thrive – and to inspire individuals and communities to nurture and
sustain these habitats for the future. It is doing this in many ways:
About Shaftesbury
Shaftesbury owns and manages a 15.1-acre property portfolio in the liveliest parts of London’s West End. Focused on restaurants, leisure and retail in the highly popular, sought-after and prosperous locations of Carnaby, Seven Dials and Chinatown, it also includes substantial ownership in East and West Covent Garden, Soho and Fitzrovia. The portfolio comprises 599 shops, restaurants, cafés and pubs extending to 1.1 million sq. ft., 599 apartments and 0.5 million sq. ft. of offices. We focus on the sustainable reuse of existing buildings and aim to minimise the environmental impact of our operations across the business.
We are committed to engaging and working with the community in which we operate. We align our activities and support with organisations which are active in the West End, including those which support the arts, community groups, schools and charities, and those which focus on local social issues and environmental changes.
About the Mercers’ Company
The Mercers’ Company is a 700-year-old livery company focused on being a philanthropic force for good.
Our giving is focused on Young People & Education, Older People & Housing and Church & Communities. This allows us to create positive change across generations, giving those we help the chance to live a fulfilling life now and in the future.
The Mercers’ support 180 individual charities annually and provide high-quality accommodation to 215 residents in our six almshouses, work closely with our associated schools which educate 18,000 children, and appoint 88 charity trustees and school governors.
Find out more about The Bees installations and their creators below:
‘Urban Ecosystem’ by Abbey Lossing, located in Mercer WalkIllustrator and animator Abbey has created a bold and colourful beehive which depicts the urban ecosystem from the depths of the London Underground to the skies above the city. The piece aims to highlight the integral role that bees play in this ecosystem, and visitors who listen carefully may even get a buzzy surprise.
‘Wildflowers’ by Charlie Davis, located in Mercer Walk
London based illustrator Charlie has used the wildflowers that bees pollinate as inspiration for his mural. Featuring a vibrant floral design, it aims to capture the positivity that arises from encouraging natural flowers and bees to thrive in urban areas.
‘Bees in The City’ by Helen Musselwhite, located in St Martin’s Courtyard
Paper-based artist and model maker Helen has taken one of her signature layered paper artworks and transformed it into a wooden painted scene for The Yards. Featuring plants, flowers and bees that are larger than life, it’s inspired by the bees living above the destination.
‘A Hive for Tomorrow’ by Thomas Burden, located in the Mercer Street entrance to The Yards
Illustration, animation and design specialist Thomas has created a vibrant and playful visual installation. In the form of a beehive, it imagines how honey production could be made easier for those busy bees.
Further information on The Yards and The Bees activities will be announced via theyardscoventgarden.co.uk and visitors can enjoy the installations until early autumn.
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