The Year of the Bus Sculpture Trail activation will run from 22 September for seven weeks. It will give members of the public the chance to discover the bus sculptures, which will be organised in clusters, on foot by following public art trails in five areas of the capital - three in central London and two in outer London.
The bus sculptures will measure 2.5 metres long, one metre high and half a metre wide. They will be painted by well-known artists to showcase the role London's buses play in the life and economy of the city.
More than 100 submissions from artists and designers were received, and an event was staged last Wednesday (16 July) at London Transport Museum to match artists with sponsors. A TfL spokesperson told Event individuals designing the bus sculptures will be a mix of up-and-coming artists as well as some big names.
The activation will round off with all the bus sculptures being brought together in a final display. They will then be auctioned off to raise equal funds for charities Kids Company, Transaid and London Transport Museum.
Leon Daniels, TfL managing director for surface transport, said: "These sculpture trails will give Londoners and visitors to the city an exciting opportunity to discover original artwork on foot in both central and outer London locations.
"The new Routemaster is already famed for its asymmetrical geometry, curves and flowing lines - I'm delighted that this sculpture trail will see the iconic London bus transformed into multiple works of art across the city."
Charlie Langhorne, director of Wild in Art, which is delivering the concept on behalf of TfL, added: "We are thrilled to be working with Transport for London on the creation of the Year of the Bus Sculpture Trail. Our events are designed to bring the enjoyment of public art to hundreds of thousands of people while offering new ways to explore a host city.
"It will be a fantastic spectacle and is an excellent way to raise vital funds for Kids Company, Transaid and London Transport Museum."
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