The Yards in London’s Covent Garden has revealed a new range of art installations to mark the launch The Yards & The Bees campaign to help encourage visitors back as lockdown restrictions continue to ease.
The larger than life bee-themed installations have been placed throughout The Yards to create a trail of artwork. Most of the retailers in the precinct have re-opened since June 15.
Created by a selection of leading artists, the artworks are inspired by London’s urban landscape and all the bees that call it home, from colourful sculptures to a 50ft floral mural and an immersive “honey factory”.
The installations also celebrate The Yards’ own colony of over 240,000 bees located in hives on rooftops as part of Covent Garden’s continued efforts to protect the species. Wildflowers are also planted throughout the area to encourage pollination.
The arrival of this art installation is 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 charity Bee Friendly Trust, which works to give all pollinators the habitats they need in order to thrive.
“A world without bees would mean fewer flowers and fewer foods on our plates,” The Bee Friendly Trust founder Luke Dixon said.
“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.”
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