March of the Go Penguins

14th September 2010

St.Helens popular beaky Penquin ambassadors are re migrating to pastures new around the Borough.

The hugely successful colony of Go Penguins! will be transferred from the town’s retail centre and displayed at the premises of local businesses, visitor attractions, parks and public transport venues, allowing residents to enjoy the artistic creations for years to come.

Go Penguins! was inspired by Liverpool’s Year of the Environment to raise awareness of climate change by reflecting on the melting of the ice caps in Antarctica.

The Go Penguins! will move from 20th September to make way for a new and exciting trail to be installed in January 2011. The colourful and decorated Penguins will take residence in number of locations and will be seen alongside the pets at Sherdley Park, watching the trains go by at St.Helens Central and Junction railway stations, and welcoming a variety of musical and comedy acts to the Citadel. The Go Penguins! can be found at:

Go Penguins! were immensely popular with residents and visitors alike, showcasing the talents of local artists such as Kerry Machin, Stephen Ball and Tony Bishop. The St.Helens Penguins even made an appearance on the popular BBC primetime programme, The One Show.

Fay Lamb, Director, The Citadel stated: We are delighted to adopt the Johnny Vegas penguin and house the artwork in the Citadel, where Johnny started his comedy apprenticeship”.

Councillor Barrie Grunewald, Cabinet Member for Culture, Communications and Town Centre said: “We are pleased that this popular attraction is to be re-housed in accessible locations across the Borough. The creative artworks will be a permanent reminder of our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint and helping to improve the environment.”

The Go Penguins! event was organised by Wild in Art (creators of Go Superlambananas) in partnership with Liverpool City Council, St.Helens Council and Wirral Council. Kings Construction will organise the move of the artworks from the Town Centre to their new places of residence. The project was financially supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and involved professional artists, schools and communities who designed and created the decorated penguins.