Wild in Art’s ‘Gratitude’, a spectacular public art installation to thank NHS staff and all key workers for their ongoing courage and dedication during the pandemic, will end its UK-wide tour this weekend at Southwark Cathedral, the oldest Gothic church building in London.

During the tour, sculptures have popped up at some iconic locations across the UK including: Brighton Beach with Norman Cook, Battle Bridge Place outside King’s Cross, in front of Tower Bridge, on Carnaby Street with Dame Zandra Rhodes, Kitty Joseph and Pam Hogg and at Manchester’s Town Hall and at Manchester Central, plus at The Forth Bridge, Queensferry and Lawnmarket in Edinburgh.

The last chance to see the free to visit, 51 sculpture exhibition, will be Sunday 10th October, and the nationwide online auction is now open, until 9pm on 21st October, with substantial proceeds donated to NHS Charities Together (Registered Charity Number 1186569), which supports the NHS, including its hospitals, ambulance services, community and mental healthcare providers and vital partnerships.

The installation, with sculptures from creative ambassador Dame Zandra Rhodes, alongside Pam Hogg, Andrew Logan, Kitty Joseph, Kate Malone, Piers Atkinson, has been visited by more than 50,000 people in Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh and now London, and it has created a space to give thanks, celebrate and contemplate the endless dedication from NHS carers and key workers across the country.

Artwork for the installation has been created by multi talented artists and designers from across the country including iconic Scottish fashion designer Pam Hogg with her sculpture ‘Courage’, a statue of remembrance, for selfless, life-risking, endless dedication, renowned sculptural artist Andrew Logan with his design ‘Stardust’, London based fashion and textile designer Kitty Joseph, and one of the UK’s leading ceramic artists, Kate Malone from London with her design ‘Life Force’ which is inspired by the optimism and joy in nature.

Their artwork and designs will form part of the installation alongside fashion icon and London based designer, Dame Zandra Rhodes and other highly acclaimed British artists including including Manchester artists Lei-Mai LeMaow with her sculpture ‘Lockdown’ which tells two different stories of lockdown, Guy McKinley with ‘Double Bubble, Toil and Trouble’, a sculpture which explores his 5 year old child’s experience of the pandemic and how it differed to his own childhood, Hammo with his sculpture ‘Faces of Lockdown’ which depicts a collection of personalities from the last year.

London’s Will Barras contributes ‘Community’, a design which expresses the gratitude we all feel towards the NHS and all key workers as a community, Nomad Clan’s sculpture ‘Digital Conscience’, explores digital identity, virtual reality, over stimulation and value systems during this challenging time and Brighton based duo Art + Believe have also designed their sculpture ‘Blanket of Unity’ which displays a vibrant, colourful, geometric blanket wrapped around the sculpture to represent all key workers’ commitment and unity to us all.

Charlie Langhorne, Managing Director and Co-founder of Wild in Art said: “Gratitude is a beautiful and striking tribute which celebrates the incredible courage and dedication of the UK’s NHS staff and all key workers and supports the vital work of NHS Charities Together.

“We are delighted to be holding our farewell weekend at London’s Southwark Cathedral, after months of hard work from artists across the UK, who have dedicated their time and creativity to help us produce an installation which reflects our endless Gratitude for the care and kindness that all key workers have provided.”

The installation also shares real-life stories and poems about key workers, which been recorded by a host of well-known voices from across the UK, including actors Hugh Bonneville, Sarah Parish, Christopher Eccleston, Julie Hesmondhalgh, John Thomson, Ciaran Griffiths, Shobna Gulati plus other high profile figures including Norman Cook, KT Tunstall, Adil Ray and Jamie-Lee O’Donnell.