Bristol invites local community to 'Take Part in Giant Art' in final countdown to CWC19

• ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 will install a giant 4-metre statue of a batsman in Millennium Square, hand-painted by the local community from 25-27 May and erected on 1 June before Bristol’s first fixture
• Former England batsman Jonathan Trott will join in the painting event on 25 May
• Bristol County Ground will host three warm-up matches and three tournament fixtures at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019

Bristol County Ground, home of Gloucestershire County Cricket Club, will host three fixtures at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, doubling the number of Men’s World Cup games the ground has held, following one in 1983 and two in 1999.

To celebrate the return of the world’s greatest cricket celebration, an impressive 4-metre batsman will be painted to represent each of the ten competing nations before standing proudly in Millennium Square for the duration of the matches in Bristol.

A three-day long public painting event will take place 25-27 May and will see local groups, scenic artists, city dignitaries and members of the community collaborating on a life-sized paint by numbers of the sculpture. The event is free-to-attend with painting slots offered on a first-come, first-served basis every 30 minutes from 10am-5pm daily.

Former England batsman Jonathan Trott will join new and existing cricket fans on 25 May in picking up a paintbrush and making their mark on this iconic tournament installation, while local graffiti artist, Silent Hobo, will entertain crowds by creating live graffiti artwork showcasing some of Bristol’s iconic landmarks throughout the bank holiday weekend.

The sculpture will be unveiled in Millennium Square just in time for Bristol’s first match on Saturday 1 June, as Afghanistan go head-to-head with Australia at Bristol County Ground. The Square will also play host to a day of live match screenings and interactive cricket activities, creating a fun, family-friendly event to celebrate the coming of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup to Bristol.

Gloucestershire Cricket Chief Executive, Will Brown said: “The ICC Cricket World Cup is a huge celebration of both the game of cricket and also the communities and lifestyles that exist across England and Wales. Bristol has a thriving art scene and the Bristol County Ground is only a short walk from areas such as Stokes Croft, one of the centres of street art in the city. Bristolians will no doubt bring their own style and creativity to this initiative and we’re excited to see what will no doubt be a uniquely Bristol artwork.”

Director of City & Spectator Experience for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, Paul Smith, added: “We look forward to seeing the local community come together to create something that celebrates both the thriving art scene in Bristol and the diverse atmosphere of the Cricket World Cup. This activation marks one of many free public events taking place across the ten host cities this summer, as we continue to bring cricket to local communities in unique and entertaining ways.”