Great Western Railway unveils 6ft statue of Morph in Paddington ahead of his Epic Art Adventure in London
Great Western Railway (GWR) is welcoming a six-foot-tall statue of beloved TV-animated character Morph to Paddington station as part of the UK’s first step-free art trail, ‘Morph’s Epic Art Adventure in London’.
From Monday 19 June, the art trail created by Whizz-Kidz, the UK charity working with and supporting young wheelchair users, will see 56 uniquely-designed statues of Morph placed around London alongside some of the capital’s most iconic landmarks.
The free event’s sculptures have been inspired by the animated clay character Morph, who has been making mischief and encouraging generations of kids – and adults – to get creative since the 1970s.
In his original guise, Morph – created by Bristol-based animation company Aardman – lived on a desk, within the confines of an artist’s studio, but now he’s breaking free as he appears across London sporting various different looks.
Each of the six-foot statues has been designed by a different artist and will be placed alongside various landmarks throughout London for people of all ages to enjoy.
Along with The Paddington Partnership, a voluntary grouping of the main companies in Paddington which promotes activity and regeneration in the area, GWR will be bringing ‘Fish Ahoy!’ to the Eastbourne Terrace entrance to Paddington station.
Designed by Northumberland artist, Ali Elly, ‘Fish Ahoy!’ introduces Morph dressed as a bearded fisherman, in full yellow oilskins and a striped top which evokes the charm of seaside destinations connected on the Great Western network and the canalside at Paddington. He completes his look with nautical-themed tattoos and his plentiful catch of the day stowed in his pockets.
As part of Morph's Epic Art Adventure in London, Whizz-Kidz will use the art trail to encourage the public, business community and young people to envision what a more inclusive world might look like for young wheelchair users, and what role they might wish to play in making this a reality.
At the end of the trail, the Morphs will be auctioned off to raise vital funds for Whizz-Kidz to help young people by providing wheelchairs; equipment; support; confidence-building experiences they need, and campaigning for a more inclusive society.
GWR Sales and Marketing Director, Amanda Burns, said:
“I’m thrilled that together with The Paddington Partnership we can bring Morph’s Epic Adventure in London to all who travel with Great Western Railway to Paddington this summer.
“Having ‘Fish Ahoy!’ welcome visitors from across the South West is the perfect gateway for kids and adults alike to begin to explore all that Paddington and London has to offer.
“The fact that this is the UK’s first fully-accessible art trail is hugely important to us, as we are committed to making train travel as accessible as possible for everyone, from train to trail. We cannot wait to support Whizz-Kidz in making Morph’s adventure part of our customers’ Great Western Adventures.”
Whizz-Kidz Corporate Partnerships Officer, Toby Briggs, said:
“Whizz-Kidz is delighted to be partnering with GWR and The Paddington Partnership for Morph’s Epic Art Adventure in London, London’s first step-free art trail. Together, we will be bringing ‘Fish Ahoy!’ to one of London’s most iconic locations, Paddington Station.
“We are so excited to know that tens of thousands of rail travellers will pass by ‘Fish Ahoy!’ every day, which we believe will prompt conversations about diversity and inclusion for wheelchair users.
“As part of Morph’s Epic Art Adventure in London, Whizz-Kidz, GWR and the Paddington Partnership will use the art trail to encourage the public, business community, and young people to envision what a more inclusive world might look like for young wheelchair users, and what role they might wish to play in making this a reality.”
Chief Executive of The Paddington Partnership, Kay Buxton, said:
“What better way to celebrate the summer than teaming up with Great Western Railway to welcome Morph’s Adventures to Paddington. We’re delighted to be part of this wonderful step-free trail, raising vital funds for Whizz-Kidz, and hope that everyone will enjoy exploring Paddington and London as they track down the super collection of colourful sculptures.”
‘Fish Ahoy!’ artist Ali Elly said:
“I designed ‘Fish Ahoy!’ to be a bright and cheerful, traditional seafaring character, evoking happy memories of trips to the seaside.
“Morph has always been all about encouraging creativity and this project has been a perfect example of that. From the initial design concept to all the meticulous hand-painting, every aspect in bringing him to life, as an artist, has been so much fun.
“’Fish Ahoy!’ really is an original and creative way to bring the sea to the city, with the help of the fantastic Whizz-Kidz, Great Western Railway, and The Paddington Partnership.
“As an inclusive activity I really hope everyone will enjoy getting out and about to find all the brilliant 56 sculptures.”
Morph’s Epic Adventure in London runs from Monday 19 June until Sunday August 20, with ‘Fish Ahoy!’ located at the Eastbourne Terrace entrance to the station.
Contact Information
John Carter
Media and Communications Manager
Great Western Railway
0845 410 4444
Notes to editors
Pictures, from top: Kay Buxton (The Paddington Partnership), Toby Briggs (Whizz-Kidz) and Katie Axford (GWR) unveil Fish Ahoy!; Morph as the seafaring character; Kay Buxton, David Morgan, Dean Haynes and Bhavik Shah (GWR), Toby Briggs and Katie Axford with Fish Ahoy!
About Great Western Railway
First Greater Western Limited, trading as “Great Western Railway” (GWR), operates trains across the Great Western franchise area, which includes South Wales, the West Country, the Cotswolds, across southern England and into London. GWR provides high speed, commuter, regional and branch line train services, and before the covid-19 pandemic helped over 100 million passengers reach their destinations every year. GWR has been awarded a National Rail Contract to continue operating the Great Western network, which shall run up to 21 June 2025, with the potential for a further three years at the Secretary of State’s discretion. Find out more here: https://www.gwr.com/about-us
About Morph's Epic Art Adventure
Wild in Art, supported by Whizz-Kidz, is bringing the UK's first step-free art trail to central London from June-August 2023 - inviting everybody to adventure around central London. The city will see over 60 3-D Morph sculptures (along with smaller 3-D Morph sculptures created by schools) turning central London into an outdoor art gallery. For more Information visit www.morphsadventurelondon.com | @morphldn | #MorphsAdventureLondon
About Whizz-Kidz
As the UK's leading charity for young wheelchair users, we empower young people by providing the wheelchairs, equipment, support, and confidence-building experiences they need, and campaigning for a more inclusive society. In 2021 Whizz-Kidz provided wheelchairs and mobility equipment to 900 young people. Our vision is a society in which every young wheelchair user is mobile, enabled and included. About young wheelchair users in the UK:
- Around 75,000 young people in the UK need a wheelchair to be mobile.
- Most young people aren't getting a wheelchair that fully meets their needs through local services.
- For a young person, having the wrong wheelchair can lead to dependence on others, social isolation, poor mental health, pain, and injury.
- Without the ability to be independent young wheelchair users are restricted in their ability to socialise and participate in society. For more information, visit www.whizz-kidz.org.uk . Follow @WhizzKidz on Twitter and Facebook // @whizzkidzuk on Instagram // Whizz-Kidz on LinkedIn
About Wild in Art
Wild in Art is one of the leading producers of spectacular, mass-appeal public art events, which connect businesses, artists, and communities through the power of creativity and innovation. Since 2008 Wild in Art has animated cities across the world including Sydney, Melbourne, Cape Town, and Sao Paulo, and created trails for the London 2012 Olympics, the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Historic Royal Palaces and Penguin Random House. Wild in Art events have:
- Enabled over £10m to be raised for charitable causes
- Injected £1.7m into local creative communities
- Engaged over 500,000 young people in learning programmes
- Helped millions of people of all ages to experience art in non-traditional settings www.wildinart.co.uk | @wildinart | #wildinart
About Aardman
Aardman, an employee-owned company, is based in Bristol (UK) and co-founded in 1976 by Peter Lord and David Sproxton, is an independent and multi-Academy Award® and BAFTA® award winning studio. It produces feature films, series, advertising, games and interactive entertainment - current animated productions include: CGI series Lloyd of the Flies, a new stop motion series for pre-schoolers, The Very Small Creatures, feature length sequel Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget and a brand new Wallace & Gromit film for 2024. Its productions are global in appeal, novel, entertainment, brilliantly characterised and full of charm reflecting the unique talent, energy, and personal commitment of the Aardman team. The studio's work-which includes the creation of much-loved characters including Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, Timmy Time, and Morph - is often imitated, and yet the company continues to lead the filed producing a rare brand of visually stunning content for cinema, broadcasters, digital platforms and live experiences around the world. Recent celebrated projects include the 'visually astonishing' (Guardian), BAFTA® nominated console game, 11-11: Memories Retold, the four-times Gold Cannes Lions winning Story Sign app, AR experience Wallace & Gromit: The Big Fix up - and innovative attractions for both the domestic and international market, including a 4D theatre attraction at Effeling in the Netherlands. The studio runs the Aardman Academy which has a commitment to nurturing talent by delivering excellence in film and animation training and mentoring. The Aardman Academy offers a variety of courses from intensive one-day workshops teaching production skills and storyboarding, to comprehensive twelve-week courses for professionals in craft-based subjects from model making to animation. In November 2018 it became an Employee-Owned Organisation, to ensure Aardman remains independent and to secure the creative legacy and culture of the company for many decades to come. www.aardman.com
About Morph
Morph is the animated clay character who made his TV debut in 1977 in the children's BBC programme Take Hart, alongside the artist and presenter Tony Hart. He was one of Aardman's first creations and was later joined by his cream-coloured partner-in-crime Chas. Morph was a regular fixture on children's television throughout the 70s and 80s and received his own Blue Peter badge on 9th March 1981 when Blue Peter presenter Sarah Greene visited the Aardman studios. In 2013, almost 40 years after his TV debut, Morph made a comeback following a hugely successful crowdfunding campaign. He has a dedicated fan base of nostalgic adult fans and a growing audience of children who follow his adventures on his thriving YouTube channel and on Sky Kids. Most recently Morph and his sidekick Chas have been delighting fans with all-new adventures in 'The Epic Adventures of Morph', a longer format series which launched on Sky Kids and NowTV in 2020. Despite now being in his forties, Morph is as mischievous as ever.
About Ali Elly
Working from her studio on the Northumberland UK coastline, Ali is an environmental artist whose artworks are always inspired by the seas and oceans of our fragile planet.
Connecting to a scientific narrative, her work helps highlight many important issues facing vulnerable and endangered marine life.
www.aliellydesign.com/contact/
About The Paddington Partnership
The Paddington Partnership is a voluntary grouping of the main developers and companies in Paddington, working to regenerate, promote and connect. Already home to major national and global headquarters, Paddington is centred around the Grand Union Canal and Paddington Basin with unrivalled transport links and a spectacular waterspace hosting floating restaurants, cafes, trip and hire boats.