In collaboration with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (RBG Kew) and Walker Books, Two Tails transformed Michael Rosen’s much-loved tale ‘We’re Going on A Bear Hunt’ into an unforgettable autumnal experience. Visitors embarked on an enchanting Bear Hunt, bringing the adventure to life across two of RBG Kew’s most prestigious sites, Kew Gardens and Wakehurst, during the October half-term.
Inspired by the story, and the hugely successful Channel 4 animated film of the same name, we immersed visitors in the heart of the Bear Hunt adventure by creating six interactive and sensory trail points at both sites. The activities mirrored the obstacles faced by the children in the book, as they journeyed through ‘long wavy grass’, ‘a deep cold river’, ‘thick oozy mud’, ‘a big dark forest’, ‘a swirling whirling snowstorm’ and a ‘narrow gloomy cave’. The trail’s climax was a face-to-face encounter with the elusive bear, a feature at both sites.
The sensory experiences featured beautiful pathways of wild grasses, vibrant ribbon installations, muddy paths and troughs with hidden wooden bear prints, and chiming ‘snowstorm’ installations. The trail at Kew Gardens included a bespoke handmade arch constructed from woven hazel willow. Additionally, Two Tails created two 2m high fibreglass bears (one for each site), that were meticulously hand-painted to resemble the bear featured in Channel 4’s ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’ animation.
Two Tails delivered a comprehensive suite of services for the six trail points and two fiberglass bears, covering concept and technical design, fabrication, and installation. The trail point interactions, wayfinding, and interpretation boards were thoughtfully designed to harmonise with the picturesque surroundings at each location.
As an additional service, Two Tails provided an onsite team of children’s play leaders, all with enhanced DBS checks, to assist with the facilitation of the trail points at Kew Gardens, ensuring the visitors fully enjoyed the experience, and health and safety measures were adhered to.
Kew Gardens and Wakehurst, collectively drawing over 2.3 million visitors annually, stand as iconic destinations. Two Tails, having previously worked with RBG Kew on an exciting Easter holiday live programme and collaborating with Aardman on Shaun the Sheep’s Madcap Meadow, has established a strong partnership with the renowned botanic gardens. The Bear Hunt trail marked Two Tails’ debut at Wakehurst, home to the esteemed Millennium Seed Bank.
