A university graduated artist based in Plymouth has teamed up with two local community interest companies in the hope of brightening up a number of Chaddlewood subways.
Artist Eloise Johnson – who is known as Mrs Murals – has teamed up with Pollenize, a community interest company aimed at protecting bees and pollinators, and Clean Our Patch – another popular community interest company passionate about keeping our local community free from litter – to bring colour to the subways.
Financial help is however needed to bring this to fruition and a crowdfunding appeal has been launched to generate the £1,000 per subway cost of the project.
Chaddlewood has six well used underpasses at five locations in the community, Historically these subways have suffered from unauthorised graffiti and been the subject to some antisocial behaviour which has resulted in many complaints. Typically the subways have been white washed on an infrequent basis to maintain the aesthetics, but these are soon covered with graffiti, tags and dirt.
The new community led artwork project’s aims include engaging local schools to promote art and citizenship; brightening up often dark and dreary subways and provide a space for art inspired by local schools created at art and education sessions planned for this autumn.
The project plans to include a schools based engagement activity during the autumn term which will support curriculum based learning focused on how environments can change as a result of human actions, such as littering.
Workshop sessions will be designed to make pupils think about how we affect nature and how we can protect it. An interactive and creative session designed in collaboration with teachers will give pupils the opportunity to present their thoughts and ideas through art which will inform the designs at the Glen Road and Westfield subway.
It is understood that Glen Park Primary and Chaddlewood Primary schools have already agreed to take part. Contributions to the crowdfunding appeal can be made at crowdfunder.co.uk/chaddlewood-subways-art-project
The funding will pay for the time that local artists commit to this project, supporting these local artists through a difficult period; all art materials; scaffolding and platforms and the provision of workshops in local schools.
Subject to achieving the necessary finance the organisers plan to start the project at the beginning of August 2021 and complete five subways before the autumn 2021.
The final subway at Westfield and Glen Road will be completed in the spring of 2022 with the help of local school children’s designs.
A spokesperson for the project said:
“Only with your support can we make it possible. This is a fantastic opportunity for residents to help bring life and colour to the subways, take control of issues such as graffiti and help educate our children to protect the environment.
“We can’t rely on other funding being made available for this project, so we need your support to make this happen. It costs roughly £1000 per subway, so once we have hit this initial milestone the project can commence. Help us hit this first target by pledging a donation equivalent to a cup of coffee or tea.
“If every resident in Chaddlewood donated just £2 we could make this fantastic project possible for all six subways.”
Ian Poyser who stood as the Green Party candidate in Chaddlewood at the recent local elections said: “Great to see this project finally get off the ground. The designs look really cool! Please lend your support! A small contribution will help get this project started ASAP.”
The crowdfunding appeal runs until July 24 and the progress towards the target is shown on the appeal page.
Mrs Murals said:
“I love to support my community where I can and get involved with local projects, so I’m really excited to be involved in a project to brighten public subways in Chaddlewood.
“Research has proven that having murals instead of white walls reduces the chance of antisocial graffiti. So along with brightening public spaces and being educational, these murals could have a positive impact to the community.”
Mrs Murals has already become quite well-known for her private commision work where she has painted murals on local residents’ garden walls and sheds. There is even a picture of her painting one of her murals on display in The Box.
(Story courtesy of The Plympton Podcast)
