York Trailblazers, the new city-wide sculpture trail, launched on 1 August, kicking off the Yorkshire Day celebrations.

This unique sculpture trail celebrates York's unsung heroes. Centred around the tansy beetle, each sculpture has a different design to capture the legacy of these inspirational people who have made a difference to people’s lives.

At the launch celebrations at THOR’s Orangery, artists and trailblazers gathered to enjoy the first day of the trail by one of the featured sculptures, Coppergate Woman. 

Coppergate Woman tells us about the life of a migrant woman living with disabilities in York 1000 years ago. This particular sculpture will be on Parliament Street until 6 August then it will be moved to Coppergate Centre, where she lay until she was discovered by archaeologists from the York Archaeological Trust in the late 1970s. 

A special mural was painted for the day by Gemma Wood. This will stay in place on THOR’S exterior until Sunday 18 August. 

There are 17 sculptures to see and discover their stories throughout the city until Monday 30 September 2024.  

You can collect a trail map from the Visitor Information Centre on Parliament Street, plus, once you’ve completed the trail, you can collect a limited edition ‘I'm a trailblazer’ sticker.  

The trailblazers were nominated by local groups, who worked with local artists to create something unique and meaningful to them to honour these remarkable individuals. 

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.  

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.  

 Find full details at the York Trailblazers hub page.