New city-wide trail, York Trailblazers, launches on Yorkshire Day to celebrate York's unsung heroes

York Trailblazers is an exciting new sculpture trail by York Civic Trust and Make It York, co-curated with organisations, community groups, schools and universities, made possible by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

This unique sculpture trail celebrates York's unsung heroes. 

The Trailblazers project provides opportunities for York’s residents to discover these lesser-known people, many of whom are from their own neighbourhoods, who have made a difference to people’s lives either locally or globally. 

Members of the public and community groups nominated their trailblazers. A co-created final list of these stories were then researched by partner organisations, highlighting their invaluable contributions. To honour these remarkable individuals, artists, working with community groups, created the tansy beetle sculptures representing them.  

The tansy beetle, an emblematic symbol of York, was chosen due to its unique connection to the city. York is one of only two places where tansy beetles are found. This vibrant and resilient beetle mirrors the spirit of the Trailblazers - each sculpture not only pays tribute to these changemakers but also brings their stories to life along the trail.  

The York Trailblazers Project is a partnership between York Civic Trust, Make It York and a wide range of community and heritage groups, artists and residents of York funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. 

Andrew Morrison, Chief Executive Officer of York Civic Trust said:  

“The York Trailblazers project has revealed a fantastic range of people from York, many of whom we did not know of before. With Make It York, it has been fantastic to collaborate with so many local artists and communities. We hope that this is the first of many such celebrations.” 

The sculpture trail has been designed to be as sustainable as possible. The materials used are recycled, repurposed or recyclable and the sculptures and the reused bases will be repurposed or recycled after the trail has ended. 

Each sculpture has been produced by local artists and crafters working with local people to create something unique and meaningful to them. The choice of sustainable materials and artwork and the decoration of each sculpture has been developed by the partnership of the artist and local communities. It is this process of sustainable co-production that is as important as the finished product.  

Commissioned to create the beetle structure, Tom Springett Metalwork Creations drew upon his rich background of experiences, from working within set-construction, visual merchandising, architectural metalwork and art fabrication industries, to create these magnificent metal works of art. 

Some of the sculpture artwork may only exist for a few weeks but the beetle structure itself and an accessible digital record of the artwork will be able to continue to celebrate York’s Trailblazers.  

There will be 17 sculptures throughout the city, with each reflecting a different trailblazer designed to capture the legacy of these inspirational people, including these three in focus: 

‘The Luddites’ sculpture was collaboratively created by a small group of people affected by homelessness with the Good Organisation. 

Rather than celebrate an individual ‘trailblazer,’ it serves to commemorate 64 Luddites who were tried in the court in York in 1813. The Luddites were a group of early 19th-century workers who protested against the introduction of machinery that they believed threatened their jobs.  

The movement began in the textile industry, where mechanised looms and knitting frames were replacing traditional hand-weaving methods, leading to job losses and reduced wages for skilled workers. 

Although the Luddite movement did not stop the process of industrialisation, it highlighted the social and economic challenges faced by workers during a period of unprecedented change, and many of their underlying concerns still resonate today with the rapid rise of AI and digital technology.   

The ‘The Luddites’ sculpture is designed by Alex Gray, a recent graduate in Theatre and Performance Design, is an aspiring theatre designer, and currently a stagehand at the Darlington Hippodrome. The sculpture is situated at Eye of York. 

‘Delma Tomlin’ was researched by the Merchant Adventurers’ Hall and York Centre for Early Music. Delma Tomlin MBE is a living trailblazer, and her achievements and energy are rarely matched. Delma came to York in 1984 to administer the York Festival Mystery Plays and loved the city far too much to ever leave – championing the move to return the Mystery Plays to the streets of the city and was CEO of the Millennium production in York Minster. 

As the founder of the National Centre for Early Music, based within the medieval church of St Margaret’s in Walmgate, Delma has been a pivotal figure in music making – focusing her energies on supporting young professional musicians locally, nationally and internationally – and flying the flag for York whenever possible. 

A member of the York Merchant Adventurers Company, in 2022 Delma became the first woman to be Governor since the Company’s inauguration over 650 years ago in 1357. She doesn’t plan to be the last! 

The ‘Delma Tomlin’ sculpture is designed by HazardOne, who is recognised as one of the top five female graffiti artists in the UK [The Guardian] and the top 25 female street artists worldwide [The Huffington Post]. The sculpture is situated at Merchant Adventurers’ Hall. 

‘York Young Carers’ was researched by unpaid Young Adult Carers aged 16-25 from the York Carers Centre worked with artist Zoe Phillips to represent unpaid carers in York, including both identified and hidden carers. 

The group reflected that carers share similar experiences and circumstances but have unique stories in their own right. Therefore, it would be difficult to find one Trailblazer to represent them all. They felt the sculpture would be impactful if it enabled carers to recognise themselves as Trailblazers for the roles they hold, sacrifices they make and difficulties they go through for the love of the person they care for. They said, the sculpture design “should be not what it appears - with lots going on underneath”. The group were taken by the grace of the tansy beetle’s exterior, also the power and resilience of the driving legs and inner workings underneath the shell. They felt this gave a perfect metaphor for a carer. 

The ‘York Young Carers’ sculpture was designed by Zoe Phillips, an inclusive mixed media artist who explores our connections with objects and the narratives they hold. The sculpture is situated at The Principal. 

Reflecting on her journey, artist Zoe Phillips, said,  

“Working with the Young Adult Carers group has been important to me both personally and professionally. Finding a way to share the identity and voice of this incredible group of individuals for whom time and space for themselves may be sparse, but also find a way to draw connections and share how important community is, was key. The beetle exposes all the hidden workings, those background details that are often overlooked or taken for granted but are so important to the running of things. With huge thanks to all those who shared their thoughts and experiences with me, you really are one-of-a-kind trailblazers!” 

The trail launches in one week, on Thursday 1 August and runs until Monday 30 September 2024, where the city will also be celebrating Yorkshire Day in heart of the city, with a series of exciting activities and events, including a Yorkshire themed market on Parliament Street.  

Sarah Loftus, Managing Director of Make It York, said,  

"York Trailblazers is an inspiring tribute to the pioneers whose courage and vision paved the way for our community's future. This project not only celebrates their legacy but also creatively highlights the humble tansy beetle, reflecting York’s ongoing commitment to its conservation in the city." 

Find full details on our York Trailblazers hub page including, ‘meet the trailblazers’, ‘meet the artist’, download the trail map, a cycle trail for exploring the trail by bike, and minimising your environmental footprint by using public transport.