Painting has been completed on a new mural on Limes Walk (58 Linden Grove,
Peckham, SE15 3LF) in the borough of Southwark, adding vibrancy and colour to the neighbourhood following approved funding from the council.
Limes Walk Community Garden in partnership with Southwark Council's Cleaner Greener Safer programme commissioned artist Claire Ward-Thornton (CWT) to deliver a new public art mural to celebrate the green haven which residents surrounding of Limes Walk created from a corner of disused land.
Claire is the founder of Hackney based art education organisation Art Hoppers which designs and delivers visual art activities in partnership with schools, public services and cultural spaces. Art Hoppers was set up in 2012 and has worked across London to engage children and families in art.
The mural, painted on the side wall of Victorian terrace 58 Linden Grove can be seen at the junction of Limes Walk creating a visible landmark to the community garden. At 10.5m high and covering a surface area of approx 100m2, the mural celebrates the power of nature and its importance in city life. The design includes botanicals at various points of the life cycle and the value of time, change and renewal.
The mural was funded by the Cleaner Greener Safer (CGS) programme which was established in 2003 and offers the opportunity for local organisations or individuals who live or work in Southwark to access funding to complete projects to benefit the local community in making it greener, more vibrant or more safe.
Previous projects to receive funding from CGS include the All Hallows Church and community Garden on Copperfield Street, while there are also regular investments into initiatives such as cycle parking on estates and play areas for children.
Cllr James McAsh, Cabinet Member for Clean Air, Streets and Waste said: “This new mural is a wonderful example of the work going on in local neighbourhoods to keep Southwark looking welcoming and vibrant while representing the importance of creativity and art to our culture and community.
“The Cleaner Greener Safer fund hands out almost £1.9 million each year in order to encourage this kind of work in our borough, and I’m so pleased that this project has come to completion with such a beautiful end result.”
The mural was designed following two community workshops with residents who contributed creative ideas. CWT produced three designs for residents to consider before a public vote was cast for the preferred choice.
Claire Ward-Thornton, mural artist, said: “Creating a public art mural is such a big responsibility, I really wanted to paint something that people would be happy to live with and enjoy.
“I had so many positive conversations with locals while painting, it was actually quite an emotional experience to see the scaffold come down and the full painting revealed because I knew what it meant to people. I'm so happy with the result and the positive feedback from residents has made this an incredibly rewarding project.”
An employment opportunity for assistant painters was also shared with local students at UAL Camberwell School of Art. Three students took up the role and worked with Claire on the in the early stages of the painting application. Assistant Painters included year 2 Fine Art students Emily Bromage and Merryn Young plus year 3 student Nohana Sayama.
Merryn Young, Year 2 Fine Art Student said: “It has been such a special experience and privilege working with Claire and the Limes Walk Community Garden. It is a beautiful space, which the mural accentuates and pays homage to and I had a lot of fun being a part of this project and soaking in the view from atop the scaffold!”
Southwark’s residents can access CGS funding by applying on the Southwark Council website when the programme opens again in September.