‘Bear With Me’

Bristol is famous for turning its streets into an open-air gallery, from Banksy’s work to its ever-changing murals, stencils, and sculptures. Tucked into a nook overlooking Jacob’s Wells Road, Bear With Me is one of the city’s more unexpected interventions: a small sculpture by the anonymous artist Getting Up To Stuff, first installed in September 2020.

Its cuddly appearance conceals a serious message. The sculpture shows a person in a hoodie sitting with their head in their hands, comforted by a teddy bear. Installed for World Suicide Prevention Day, it highlights the disproportionately high rate of male suicide while challenging the idea that men should hide their emotions. The artist sees the bear as a reminder of the comfort we found in childhood—and of the strength that can come from admitting when we are not OK. The response was immediate, generating more than a quarter of a million social-media interactions in its first week.

The sculpture became a much-loved part of Bristol’s streetscape, so its disappearance left locals wondering if it was gone for good. Instead, the artist was giving it some TLC, replacing the framework and original bear and securing it more firmly. Now Bear With Me is back above Jacob’s Wells Road, quietly offering the same simple message it did five years ago: whatever the reason, it’s OK not to be OK—and sometimes, talking is the first step.