A York artist who has just one working eye is designing a major festive trail for York.

York BID has enlisted Marc Godfrey-Murphy to create this year’s Nutcracker Trail, which will be launched on Thursday.

This theme, Christmas Around the World, features ten sculptures, each representing a different country with colours and landmarks that reflect York’s diverse, vibrant communities.

Marc, who trades as MarcoLooks, said: "Designing the York Christmas Nutcracker Trail for 2024, Nutcrackers Around the World, has been one of the most joyful projects I have ever had the privilege to work on. From conception, to completion, a lot of love and invention has gone into it.”

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“For me, it was also important to make the trail accessible. As an artist with a visual impairment (I only have one working eye), I wanted to offer something to help the people in our city who might be blind or live with severe visual impairments to engage with the trail too.

“With the help of the RNIB's transcriptions team, I have been able to add braille to the collar of every Nutcracker, to share which country is being celebrated on each statue. "

Rachel Bean, Project Manager at York BID, said: “This project is all about celebrating togetherness and the wonderful communities that call York home. I want to say a huge thank you to Marc and to the Our City Hub team for making this project so special. We hope everyone enjoys finding the statues around the city, and hopefully find a new favourite local business along the way!”

From Thursday November 14, people can pick up a map at the Visit York Visitor Information centre on Parliament Street, which outlines the trail.

MarcoLooks creates his Nutcracker TrailMarcoLooks creates his Nutcracker Trail (Image: Supplied)

People can then use the clues on each Nutcracker to match it to the correct country, recording your answers on the map. Completed entries can be submitted at the Visitor Information Centre or Santa’s Post Box in Museum Gardens for a chance to win a £250 York Gift Card!

This project was created with input from the the City of York Council Our City Hub, a community group that helped shape each Nutcracker’s design to authentically reflect York’s diverse cultures.

Marc founded his illustration studio in York in 2018, after working as an animator on popular CBeebies shows like Numberblocks and Tree Fu Tom.

Known for his colourful, quirky illustrations, Marc creates everything from animal-themed artwork to York-inspired prints and playful gifts, all designed to bring a smile.

Young and budding artists are invited to download a Nutcracker template and create their own designs. Submissions can be sent to info@theyorkbid.com for a chance to see their work featured in the York Nutcracker Trail 2025.