The Great Knaresborough Bunny Hunt
The Great Knaresborough Bunny Hunt is organised and presented by Laura Dudley, owner of Painting Pots, Knaresborough.
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It was in 2018, whilst Painting Pots was based at Henshaws Arts and Crafts Centre that Laura was inspired to increase footfall for the community space, as well as help raise money for a sensory room at Aspin School. The idea to support as many people as possible, and whilst that first year was a rainy and wet year… the event was a lovely success, and an annual event for knaresborough was born!
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Every year Laura has added in a ‘twist’ to the bunny hunt keeping it interesting and fresh each year! Elements that remain the same are the painted ceramic bunnies.
​Over the years Laura and Painting Pots staff, and incredible local artists have hand painted and decorated the small ceramic bunnies, mostly following and being guided by Laura's ideas.​
“It is important to me that the designs and the characters of the bunnies appeal to all ages. I adore that there are some bunnies that only the children will know and equally there are bunnies that the grown ups will know. I love to imagine the conversations and learning opportunities that take place during the hunt!”
The bunnies are then glazed and fired to nearly a 1000c at the Painting Pots Studio, and then placed in the windows of participating ‘host’ businesses.​
Once the bunny hunt is complete, the bunnies are auctioned off (check out the bunny hunt Facebook page) with all proceeds going to the chosen charities.
​After you've done the bunny hunt, why not stop in at Painting Pots to paint your own Easter themed pots?
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What is the future of The Great Knaresborough Bunny hunt!?
Laura informs me that she has plans for the next two years…taking the bunny hunt to a decade of Easter fun! After then who knows…. A new ceramic shape? A bigger hunt?1
who knows!!
Over the years Painting Pots has been lucky enough to have some incredible local artists paints some of the bunnies.
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Each with their own methods and ideas, these amazing artists, in their own time, bring their talent and individual style to help keep the bunnies interesting, to share the workload, and bring Laura's vision to life when she can't!
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A huge thank you to Claire Baxter and her team, Helen Salmons, and Natasha Gilyard.
You can find Claires incredible work on her website or on Facebook.
To find out more about Helen's work click on her page at the top.
To discover Natasha Gilyards work find her on Facebook.