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CowParade 2012
We've teamed up with Asitis Consulting, Derry City Council and ILEX to bring CowParade to Northern Ireland in 2012.
Up to 200 beautifully decorated cows will be on display at various locations in Belfast and Londonderry until December 2012.
At the end of the CowParade, the cows will be sold at auction to help raise money for charity.
- What is CowParade?
- Belfast cows
- Why are we supporting the event?
- Famous cows and owners
- Further information
What is CowParade?
CowParade is the largest and most successful public art event in the world. Life-size fibreglass cows are brought to the streets of host cities all over the world, where they are decorated by local artists and put on display.The event has been held in over 75 cities worldwide, including Chicago, New York, London, Paris, Taipei and Mexico City and has involved some of the world's premier artists, designers and craftsmen.
CowParade cows have been seen by an estimated 100 million people and,
through their sale at auction, have raised over £25 million for charities worldwide. CowParade NI cows will be sold at auction their time on public display to raise funds for charity partners, Barnardo's Northern Ireland and Depaul Ireland
Belfast's cows
- See the list of Belfast cows below
- View photos of Belfast cows
| Design theme | Location | Community sponsor | Community artist |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Diamond Jubilee Featuring pop-art images of the Queen to commemorate the Jubilee celebrations | Shankill Women's Centre 151-157 Shankill Road Belfast BT13 1FD Open to the public Monday – Thursday, 9am – 5pm and Friday, 9am – 2pm. |
Shankill Women's Centre | Andy Hipson |
| Belfast flag Images of some of the 10,000 flags that are flown over the Springfield Road peace line. |
Conway Mill 5-7 Conway Street Belfast BT13 2DE |
Belfast Flags project | Raymond Watson |
| Cow-tanic A humorous interpretation of how milk is produced with 'portholes' providing a view into the internal workings of a cow's conversion of grass to milk. |
Crescent Arts Centre 2-4 University Road Belfast BT7 1NH |
Lisburn Road traders | Paperclip Architects |
| Gaeltacht Images of Black Mountain, community based buildings and local public art. |
An Cultúrlann 216 Falls Road Belfast BT12 6AH |
An Cultúrlann | Dónal O Dálaugh |
| Multi-cultural cow Depicting the friendship group made up from different nationalities now living in Belfast. |
Crescent Arts Centre 2-4 University Road Belfast BT7 1NH |
Belfast Friendship Club | Jennifer Hanley |
| Musical - rock and roll A street art interpretation of Belfast's musical heritage. |
Oh Yeah Music Centre 15-21 Gordon Street Belfast BT1 2LG |
Oh Yeah Music Centre | Tim McCarthy |
| Cross community cow A representation of how music has brought communities together in peace. |
University of Ulster York Street Belfast BT15 1ED |
Inner East Network Group | Rosheen Heath |
| Rural Belfast Photographs and drawings of local wildlife and heritage. |
Hannahstown Community Garden, 23 Hannahstown Hill | Hannahstown Community Centre | Eamonn McCrory |
| Titanic Titanic of 1912 and 2012. |
Hammer Community Centre Agnes Street Belfast BT13 1GG |
Hammer Community Centre | Anne Quail |
| Young people Visions of things young people from New Lodge would like to own or see in their lives. |
Ashton Centre 5 Churchill Street BelfastBT15 2BP |
New Lodge Arts | Ed Reynolds |
| St George's Market Featuring the signatures of and messages from the market traders. |
St George's Market | St George's Market | Market traders |
| Pride Sailor cow designed in an 'all at sea' theme. |
Pride Festival Belfast LGBT Centre 1st Floor 9 – 13 Waring Street Belfast BT1 2DX |
Pride Festival | Philip Rees |
Photos and videos
- View photos of CowParade launch at Belfast City Hall
- View photo galleries of previous cows
- View videos of previous cows
Why are we supporting CowParade in Belfast?
We are investing £35,000 in CowParade 2012, and it is estimated that the event will generate £280,000 for our local economy. The cows will be auctioned off for charity after the parade.CowParade will benefit the city by:
- bringing more colour, fun, vibrancy and creativity to our streets during 2012's programme of events and experiences and is part of our City Dressing campaign
- enhancing various areas of Belfast raising awareness of our heritage and future potential
- generating an international media profile and improving visitors' perceptions of our city
- encouraging greater pride in local areas by increasing community participation in tourism projects and engaging the support of local businesses
- giving local artists the opportunity to display their work, with designs developed with the local community.
Famous cows
Famous designers
Many cows have been designed by famous names including:- Patrick Hughes
- Di Rosa
- Vivienne Westwood
- Ronnie Wood
- John Rocha
- Radiohead.
Famous owners
The cows are auctioned off for charity at the end of the parade. Some famous cow owners include:- Oprah Winfrey
- Vaclav Havel
- Ringo Starr
- Elton John
- David James
- Princess Firyal of Jordan.
