Three leading UK technology companies have collaborated to design an app for Manchester’s Bee in the City art trail. Ten years after Wild in Art’s inaugural event, this public art specialist commemorates its anniversary by uniting top digital firms to create the Bee in the City app.
The app, featuring an augmented reality bee, a pedometer, and integration with outdoor digital screens, has seen over 17,000 downloads and nearly 1 million Bee ‘unlocks’ to date. Developed by a digital marketing agency, it provides users the opportunity to collect bees, vote for their favourite, and earn rewards while exploring Manchester’s summer art trail. Participants can download the app to locate both the super-sized bees painted by artists and the smaller bees created by children and young people.
The augmented reality bee, named Buzzi, was created by an animation studio and is among more than 230 bee sculptures on display throughout the city. Exclusive to app users, Buzzi can be seen flying to its ‘hive’ at St Peter’s Square through mobile device cameras. ‘It’s been a great project to work on creating the augmented reality bee,’ remarked the managing director of the animation studio. ‘We have worked with many beloved characters in our animated series, but this project showcases our team’s talent and the quality and flexibility of our production resources.’
In addition to helping visitors locate sculptures around Manchester’s popular landmarks and hidden spots, the app offers rewards and trophies. Players can input the code printed on each sculpture’s plaque to unlock retail discounts, prizes, and exclusive content. A notable feature, the app is integrated with outdoor advertising screens, allowing participants to see themselves on large displays throughout Manchester by uploading their photos and Twitter handles. Successful uploads are tweeted to notify the player.
The app also promotes fitness by tracking distance, steps, and time on the trail, with a pedometer sponsored by a presenting partner. Users can add photos to the Bee Gallery and share their experiences on social media. ‘The app brings even more enjoyment to Bee in the City, transforming Manchester into a fun, free, family-friendly art gallery this summer,’ noted the marketing director of Wild in Art. ‘The art trail marks a significant milestone in our history of connecting communities, businesses, and artists through creativity, and we are delighted to collaborate with these digital firms to deliver a fitting app.’
The Bee in the City app is available for download from the App Store and Google Play. A portion of the net profit from each app purchase is donated to the Lord Mayor of Manchester’s We Love MCR Charity. Upon the conclusion of the art trail on 23 September, the giant bee sculptures will be auctioned in October to raise funds for this charity, which supports Manchester’s communities through its grants programme.
The collaborative effort has resulted in an app that enhances the experience of exploring the Bee in the City art trail while supporting charitable causes. This innovative use of technology demonstrates the power of digital tools to engage communities and foster creativity.