The Yards Covent Garden welcomes back visitors with The Bees; a series of striking art installations inspired by nature’s hardest workers. From colourful, larger than life sculptures to a 50ft floral mural and an immersive ‘honey factory’, each design reflects London’s vast urban landscape and the humble bees that call it home. The arrival of the artwork marks the first in a series of activities designed to champion urban pollinators and support the charity Bee Friendly Trust, with bee-themed workshops and offers taking place online and at The Yards throughout the summer.

Visitors can follow the trail of artwork, which have been designed by leading artists, and learn about the inspiration behind each piece along the way. The installations also celebrate The Yards’ very own colony of up to 240,000 urban pollinators, who live in hives high up on the rooftops. As part of the destination’s continued efforts to protect the species, flowers are also planted throughout the area to encourage pollination.

To help raise further awareness of the plight of bees, The Yards is partnering with charity the Bee Friendly Trust – who work to give all pollinators the habitats they need in order to thrive. Visitors can find out more about the charity’s work via QR codes located around the site and proceeds from upcoming workshops will also be donated.

Luke Dixon, founder of the Bee Friendly Trust, says: “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.” 

Find out more about The Bees installations and their creators below:

Urban Ecosystem’ by Abbey Lossing, located in Mercer Walk

Illustrator 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.