New murals unveiled in Basingstoke
Primary schoolchildren help design new community art
Last updated 30th Sep 2022
A new community art installation has been unveiled on the side of Festival Place in Basingstoke.
Three local artists and six schools have created a community mural on the outside wall of M&S in Church Street.
Artists Kev Munday, Sian Storey and Fátima Pantoja held workshops with pupils at Manor Field Infants, Rucstall Primary, St Bedes Primary, South View Infants, Oakridge Junior and Chalk Ridge Primary to find out what Basingstoke means to them and what makes it special.
Leader of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council Cllr Simon Bound said:
“We are delighted that Festival Place have transformed this area into a colourful place for residents and visitors to enjoy and to showcase the work of our talented Basingstoke artists and local children.
“Together with town centre businesses and organisations, we are planning to breathe new life into Basingstoke town centre, including improving how it looks. It is good to see that our strong arts community is already playing an active role in this project and building on Streets Alive.”
Artist Sian Storey said:
“Being able to work with young people in schools really brought the project to life. I think that by involving the community with a project of this scale helps give them ownership and a connection to the final artwork.
“My designs are inspired by the ideas we discussed and the bird paintings that were made in the workshops, they were bright, joyous and full of character.
“The final artwork celebrates the beauty of nature here in and around our town of Basingstoke. Using the pupils’ stories of wildlife they have encountered, the artwork brings interest, colour and the tranquility of nature to a large urban space.
“We are so busy in our day to day lives that I hope this artwork makes people stop, look up and enjoy the moment.”