Had a fantastic time meeting everyone and putting up the Younity Mural banners with Lindsay at the Grainger Market last Friday!
Thanks to all who came out to see them! If you haven’t seen them yet, the banners will be on display for a couple of weeks and during The Late Shows next weekend. Take a look at the photos below to see the banners and the list of co-artists displayed on vinyl by the balcony.
Each banner represents a core theme discussed in the participatory workshops: Freedom (Orange), Compassion (Green), Growth (Blue), and Connection (Yellow). Over five workshops, co-artists and contributors generously shared their thoughts, ideas, and artwork for the Younity Mural Project. These contributions were then carefully compiled and designed into the banners over a course of a few days in my studio. Yes, the process was hard…Lots of coffee was drank.
A total of twenty A3-sized vinyl prints are displayed across the city centre: Grainger Market, Centre for Life, Princes Trust, Shelter North East, Chinatown, British Heart Foundation, Newcastle Arts Centre, Newcastle Castle and Newcastle Helix at the Core.
A huge thank you to all the incredible contributors and co-artists whose work made this possible! It’s been amazing to see connections across different organisations and groups for this. Please share your photos on social media using #YounityMural.
I’ve been working hard managing a project as lead artist for the Younity project with Helix Arts and Creative Central:NCL. This is my first time managing multiple inboxes since I worked at Curious Arts so I’m glad to be working alongside Lindsay Nicholson who’s been fantastic with the facilitation.
The co-artists artwork can now be viewed online!
There were over seventy contributions towards the Younity mural through idea sharing, doodles and submitting artwork. I honestly wish I could do this work forever. I loved meeting all the different people who attended and watching them create their art based on Newcastle and the cultural zone. I was told by an artist who attended one of the workshops that it was the most diverse event he’d ever been to.
To summarise the co-creating and art :
The artworks consist of artwork submitted in person or by email.
Each artwork lists the artist, title of their work, and an image description to provide textual access to the visual content.
Some artworks include ‘In the artist’s words’ section where they have chosen to add more detail.
Each artwork came from one of five workshops held across three venues and varying times for accessibility during February 2024. Co-artists were given more time to complete their artwork at home after the workshops if they wanted.
Co-artists came from varying backgrounds, ages and experiences allowing different diverse groups to create together.
You can view the artworks before I start creating the MASSIVE mural inspired by them all on http://www.younitymural.co.uk and click on Artworks on the top banner.
Here’s a few photos from the workshops!
Image Descriptions of workshop photos above: Top row from left to right. 1. Image of different banners with words brainstorming the meaning of ‘Unity’ from three previous workshops, displayed across a large window with light shining through. 2. Image of a workshop with people gathered around a circular table with art supplies. 3. Image of people discussing and creating across a rectangular table during the day time with lots of windows in the background. 4. Image of artist creating on a table with colour tests, with cup of tea and lots of materials. Bottom row from left to right. 5. Image of three large circular tables with lots of people creating together. 6. Image of people in a boardroom with a colourful presentation being projected onto a wall on the left. A flip chart is visible in the background next to a person walking with a camera. 7. People gathered around a rectangular table in the evening busy creating artwork. 8. A colourful table filled with pens, with artist drawing flowers alongside image references.
Last year I took part in a development opportunity called Artist’s Agency with Helix Arts. From June – September 2023 I would meet with a group of lovely artists at Newcastle Arts Centre where we learnt about participatory arts, project planning, recruitment, safeguarding, fundraising, budget management to evaluation with mentoring. It provided a great space to discuss, learn and get these tips from Helix Arts. The arts charity was founded in 1983 and provided insightful knowledge of the arts sector of the North East. I really enjoyed these jam packed sessions with Megan Todman and Cheryl Gavin with advice from Stephen Prichard.
At the end we were given a chance to pitch our project ideas to Helix Arts. I decided to team up with the fantastic Lindsay Nicholson who would help support and deliver workshops. The Younity Mural was a project I was keen to develop from over these sessions having worked with public art and Lindsay was also passionate like myself about minorities having representation. We were successful in our pitch at the end of last year and have been planning away this January. The Younity Mural Project is commissioned by Helix Arts. It’s supported by Creative Central: NCL and Newcastle City Council and funded by the North of Tyne Combined Authority.
‘Younity’ will be a co-produced community mural which will be displayed as prominent public artwork in Newcastle city Centre. The colourful display will send a message of hope to those experiencing hate crimes and express unity. It will be an uplifting hallmark of the welcoming multicultural and diverse community of the North East. It will aim to bring people from marginalized and lower socio-economic groups. Workshops will provide a safe space for participants and be LGBTQIA+ friendly.
The aims of the project are to enable participants to:
– Learn new skills they can transfer to other parts of their lives, including education, training and employment;
– Explore and connect with the world around them, in a safe, supportive, fun environment;
– Learn to work and communicate with other people, making new friends along the way;
– Grow the confidence to have more of a say in the things that matter to them;
– Contribute to their local community through workshops and performances;
– Feel happy, connected and valued
Baltic Front RoomRecovery College Collective (ReCoCo)
Please email YounityMural@gmail.com if you’d like to take part and fill out a booking form. Let us know if you have any access needs.
Workshops have been planned to take place in February at ReCoCo, Baltic Centre of Contemporary Art (Front Room) and Newcastle Arts Centre on the 10th February with the Young Women’s Film Club.
Production for the mural will begin after all the work from the workshops has been collected and scanned. This will then be developed into artwork by myself, by early March. The artwork will then go on display in the city centre. The mural is also planned to go on display as part of the Late Shows with Creative Central: NCL
I cannot wait to share more news with you when the workshops are delivered and artwork goes on display. Obviously I’ll be sharing some news on social media too!
Sofia Barton Illustration 