Salford City Council has announced that it will be bringing Mystery Bird, a spectacular moving art installation that brings together a wonderful collective of artists to celebrate birds, and their symbolism of hope and freedom, to the historic market town of Eccles, in January 2024.
Running for five consecutive nights, Mystery Bird is made up of an illuminated bird cage with a magical soundscape that will travel along residential streets of Eccles, before a magical projection of birds escapes across homes and buildings, to be seen by an audience of all ages, abilities and accessibility, with its beautiful journey culminating in a performance on Church Street outside St Mary’s Church in the town centre.
Part of the ambitious regeneration project for Eccles, Mystery Bird will shine a light on the town centre. There is now an exciting opportunity for change and Salford City Council wants to demonstrate that through events like this.
The programme is a shared vision and collaborative project, as Salford City Council are working closely with local organisations, community groups, and businesses to create and deliver these changes.
Mystery Bird, originally developed by Quays Culture, is a creative intervention designed to bring people together, helping to build a sense of community, pride and hope.
The installation features contributions from paper artist Helen Musselwhite, vocal artist Jason Singh, video projection artists Illuminus, local fabricators M3 Industries, and digital expert Jack Hardiker.
Councillor Hannah Robinson-Smith, Executive Support Member for Culture, Communications and Strategic Priorities, said: “As part of our ongoing Events Programme in Eccles, Mystery Bird is an exciting project all about bringing people together; across the community and in the town centre. Communities in all corners of Eccles will be involved when this illuminated artwork travels down designated streets, and the event will culminate with a projection of birds onto Eccles Parish Church in the town centre on Saturday 27 January.
Mystery Bird is another fantastic reason to be proud of Eccles, to visit Eccles town centre and all it has to offer and is an opportunity to have an incredible cultural experience for free!”
Mystery Bird will run from Tuesday 23rd January – Saturday 27th January 2024.
Photo credit Chris Payne
