This year is the eighth anniversary of the Manchester Arena attack, in which 22 people were very sadly killed. One of the many ways that TRS remember those who lost their lives is through the permanent fixture of The Bee of Hope, Community and Respect within the school grounds.
Throughout the Summer of 2018, over 100 individually designed super-sized Bees and over 130 equally artistic little Bees were displayed around Greater Manchester for nine weeks as part of Bee in the City, where trail followers could explore each distinct creation.
The Radclyffe School worked with designer Barry Spence to create The Bee of Hope, Community and Respect, which was displayed outside of Manchester Cathedral. Once the trail in the city centre came to an end, the sculpture came home to the school.
Read on for more information about our Bee and the inspiration behind its design:
This bee features the design ideas of students Laiba Qureshi, Laiba Asif, Emma Whittaker, Hadia Arain, Lukhman Miah and Salman Khan. The cogs and binary patterns pay homage to Oldham’s industry and the flames feature in the school’s emblem, The Torch of Knowledge and Skills.
They also symbolise reflections on the Manchester Arena attack. Ariana Grande’s lyrics are on the wings and 22 flowers represent those who lost their lives. The message from the Radclyffe students is ultimately one of hope, and the belief that love, community and respect for all will rise from the ashes.
The Bee of Hope, Community and Respect. Image credit: Bee in the City
