Case Study

Case Study

Case Studies

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The Big Hoot run by Wild in Art

Harrow Green Case Studies - The Big Hoot run by Wild in Art

The Client:

The Big Hoot event was run by Wild in Art, a public art organisation which brings creative projects to thousands of people through high-profile events. They work with artists, communities and public and private sector organisations to animate cities and towns around the UK and beyond.

The Project:

In this fantastic mass participation public art event, 85 owl statues along with 114 ‘owlets’ were placed in various locations throughout the city, to encourage Birmingham’s residents and tourists to explore the city by hunting for the owls. They were spread out throughout the city centre and the suburbs so you never knew where you might find them.

The project needed an expert removals company who could be absolutely relied on to protect the owls, handling them with the care needed for works of art. We have a wealth of experience in handling, packing and transporting delicate objects and our team have specialist training in the techniques and materials to use. We also offered the proactive, flexible approach which the customer needed, and we were delighted to be chosen as the official transport and logistics supplier for this exciting project.

The 165cm-tall owls, and the 90cm ‘owlets’, were customised by local artists and schoolchildren throughout the West Midlands. We then packed, transported and positioned the owls, according to the precise plan created by Wild in Art.

The project was funded by corporate sponsorship and the statues were auctioned at the end of the summer with all proceeds going to Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

The Outcome:

The Big Hoot went entirely to plan and was a huge success. Tens of thousands of people searched for the owls, and photos of the statues (including lots of selfies with people’s favourite owls!) swept across social media, showcasing the cultural appeal of the great city of Birmingham.

The Big Hoot auction raised over £500k for Birmingham Children’s Hospital. This huge sum will make a great difference to the immensely important work the hospital carries out, providing health services for young patients from Birmingham, the West Midlands and beyond (with over 270,600 patient visits every year).

We sponsored two owls ourselves and at the auction we were delighted to see them raise £15,800 for the Hospital.

Since joining with Wild in Art to work on The Big Hoot, we have also been asked to get involved in other projects in the future and we’re delighted to be forging a real partnership with this innovative organisation.

Project Details


Sector:
Arts

Organisation:
The Big Hoot run by Wild in Art

Location:
Birmingham


What We Did:

  • Received, stored and distributed 85 owls to artists over a six-month period
  • Transported and installed the owls across Birmingham over five nights, working with the Wild in Art team
  • Collected the owls over four nights and delivered them for re-installation at the Farewell Event
  • Supported the auction night with on-stage owl movements
  • Delivered and installed the owls to their new homes across the UK.

Client Feedback

Restore Harrow Green made an invaluable contribution to the success of The Big Hoot. The team were committed to a full service delivery across all aspects of the project and each and every member approached the tasks and challenges with enthusiasm and energy, offering high quality solutions and customer care throughout the 18 months. Not only could we have not delivered the project without them, we felt privileged to be working with an organisation which consistently demonstrated high standards along with a personal and delightful attitude.

Sally-Ann Wilkinson - Wild in Art
The Big Hoot