Crowds gathered as Bradford Centenary Square’s transformation into a green haven dominated by a sand sculpture of Charles Darwin was unveiled.

Garden Magic, organised by Bradford Council, aims to bring greenery and entertainment into the city until Sunday.

The theme this year is Charles Darwin – marking the bicentenary of his birth and the 150th anniversary of the release of his work ‘On the Origin of the Species’.

Shipley-born poet Andrew Mitchell performed a live poetry reading from his specially commissioned 14 poem sequence about Darwin’s stay in Ilkley and follows his global voyage on the Beagle.

Mr Mitchell said: “Bradford is linked with Ilkley and this event is all about our own cultural background.

“So I think it is very important that we recognise this and we celebrate it.”

The centrepiece of the Garden Magic installation is a 120-tonne sand sculpture of Charles Darwin created by Bradford’s Jamie Wardley.

There are also five small sculptures scattered around the installation representing the five floral kingdoms – these have been created by local artists.

The event has been supported by Bradford-based Uriah Woodhead, who provided the sand and building materials. It will see music, street theatre, living statues and stiltwalkers entertaining people during the day from noon until 2pm and every evening there will be live music, ranging from a jazz ensemble to the Cherry Pickers steel band.

Mr Mitchell will also be performing his poems on Friday. The poems, which form ‘a voyage of ideas’ will also form a literary voyage around Ilkley.

The event also forms part of the Darwin in Yorkshire celebrations, which includes the International Darwin Conference at the University of Bradford.

For more information go to bradford.gov.uk/events.