Covered in thousands of hand-placed mirror tiles, Mark Whitehouse’s shimmering sculpture is one of the standout creations in ellenor’s summer art trail across Dartford and Bluewater.

There is no missing Mark Whitehouse’s bear.

Covered in thousands of shimmering mirror tiles, the giant sculpture catches the light from every angle, transforming into a dazzling disco-inspired centrepiece for ellenor’s summer art trail across Dartford and Bluewater.

Every tile was individually placed by hand, with shoppers watching the work take shape inside Bluewater Shopping Centre.

Mark said: “It was nice to meet people and see the artists using different materials and mediums – we all helped each other.”

The graphic design company owner spent more than 50 hours transforming the sculpture, often fitting the project around the demands of running his business.

“I was running to the wire,” he admits.

This summer, more than 80 bear sculptures created by artists, schools and community groups will appear across Dartford and Bluewater as part of Dartford – We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, ellenor’s first major public art trail and one of the first large-scale sculpture trails to take place across the borough.

Inspired by the animated adaptation produced by Lupus Films, based on the much-loved picture book by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury, the trail will transform streets, parks and public spaces into a giant open-air art experience for families this summer.

But behind the colour and creativity is a bigger purpose. To bring local people together to raise awareness and vital funds for hospice care across North Kent and Bexley.

Artists were carefully chosen to paint or decorate the 30 large bears, which will be placed strategically along the route. Each bear has been sponsored, bring in vital funds for ellenor. Local firms are also pitching in by transporting the bears to and from their destinations in Dartford’s streets, parks and open spaces and in Bluewater Shopping Centre.

Fifty smaller bears have also been produced, which are being decorated by school pupils and local community groups, which will be displayed in museums, storefronts and libraries.

Mark, who lives in Gravesend with his wife Cappy, has personal experience of ellenor, with several of his own relatives receiving end-of-life care at the hospice during the past 10 years. Like ellenor, he believes in the power of community and sees creativity as a way of bringing people together.

“ellenor is an essential facility. Anyone who has been through the palliative care aspect of someone’s life understands the difference between a hospital and a hospice. The attentive level of the staff – you can’t not be in awe of that.”

He praises the way ellenor welcomes families long before end of life, helping people embrace life and live it to the fullest.

Outside of his commercial design work, Mark publishes the Gravesham Grapevine arts listings and helps organise Gravesham Fringe Festival.

He has also worked in schools with sixth formers during career days, encouraging them to explore the creative industries.

“I was lucky because I knew what I wanted to do at the age of 13 or 14,” he said. “I went to art school and went on to work for ad agencies and design groups.”

Although the disco inspired bear immediately catches attention visually, Mark says there is also a deeper meaning behind the mosaic effect.

Creativity clearly runs in the family, with his children Isabella and Faber both now working in the advertising industry.

The youngsters he inspires now are unlikely to be decorating bears with disco tiles, but Mark swears by his glittering mosaic effect.

“Thematically it feels quite nice, with the mosaic idea reflecting families coming together to make a whole, which is a metaphor for so many things – lives, experiences, memories,” Mark says.

“On a personal level it’s been so enjoyable as virtually everything I do for work these days is digital. It’s a rarity to get my hands dirty. I was determined to have a project which was miles away from my own job.

“It’s been meditative, looking at each tile individually.”

He hopes people following the trail this summer will not only enjoy the sculpture itself but also think differently about the role creativity and community can play in bringing people together.

The larger bears have all been sponsored by local companies, with Mark’s design chosen by Pillory Barn, a communications, creative and digital agency based in Maidstone after seeing one of his earlier creations for Gravesham Light Festival.

“I wanted to celebrate two aspects of Gravesend Town, the cement industry and the vibrant club scene from the 1980s, to combine heavy industry and entertainment,” he says.

Although Mark takes his art seriously, he has also embraced the fun side of the trail and is even considering a “guess the number of tiles” competition.

He used 1cm square tiles for most of the bear, with smaller 5mm tiles for the eyes, ears and claws.