- Collectivity
Critically acclaimed artist Fandangoe Kid (aka Annie Nicholson) and Change Grow Live have worked together to create a striking new mural for St Helens town centre.
Entitled Together In Love And Courage, this bold and vibrant floor mural is the result of several weeks of social engagement with the incredible participants at CGL St Helens. Together, Fandangoe Kid explored themes of resilience and overcoming extreme adversity, alongside the role of community and the unique spirit of St Helens and its people. Gathering together the vast creative output from the participants alongside transcripts of group conversations, Annie developed a collective voice which fed into the design and narrative of the mural.
Annie's partner, writer Lara Haworth, got involved too. With her help, Annie settled the mural's final words, which she felt best represented the amazing and unique spirit of the participants and acknowledged all that they had shared in the group sessions.
Annie says: "It has been a real honour to work with the group and amplify these powerful voices in the public realm in St Helens."Together in Love and Courage is part of our wider murals programme. After the huge success of last year’s murals by residents and Nomad Clan in the heart of Parr we have planned a series of new murals to transform several locations in St Helens.
Located on Foundry Street in St Helens town centre, this artwork is presented in partnership with St Helens Borough Council as part of their Welcome Back Fund programme. The mural will form the entrance to the new £1m events space and retail hub planned for the former Chalon Way car park site.
The project has received £20K of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund, specifically the Welcome Back Fund, as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (and in London the intermediate body Greater London Authority) is the Managing Authority for European Regional Development Fund. Established by the European Union, the European Regional Development Fund helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations. More information.
Visit
You'll find Together in Love and Courage at: 5 Market Street, St Helens WA10 1NE
About the artist
Supported by
Arts Council England champions, develops and invests in artistic and cultural experiences that enrich people's lives. They support a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries - from theatre to digital art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections.
Between 2011 and 2015, we will invest £1.4 billion of public money from government and an estimated £1 billion from the National Lottery to help create these experiences for as many people as possible across the country. Government funding is received from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and requirements are laid out in our funding agreement with them.
In collaboration with
Part of St Helens Library Services, St.Helens Council Arts Service supports the development of all art forms including music, dance, drama, creative writing, new media, visual and public art.
Change Grow Live is a drug and alcohol service for adults aged 19+, families and carers in St Helens. They offer a wide range of support including one-to-one appointments and group work. As well as drugs and alcohol, they offer support with health and wellbeing mental health, criminal justice, domestic abuse and homelessness.
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