A set of four striking murals in Priory Park, Warwick, entitled ‘A Day in Priory Park, Linking Past, Present and Future’, has now been completed, and a community gathering was held with Cllr Dave Skinner, Mayor of Warwick, unveiling the commemorative plaque during a celebration with the local community and all those involved in this exciting project.
These murals celebrate the history of Priory Park & the 200th anniversary of the railway in 2025, whilst reflecting what the park now means to the local community. It also looks forward to the future Priory Pools Community Centre.
The initiative was led by Priory Pools Community Centre (PPCC) and supported by Packmores Residents Association (PAC) with the aim of brightening up the area around the run-down railway underpass in Priory Park, and demonstrating to local residents that everyone was serious about rejuvenating this often overlooked area in Warwick.
The murals were designed and produced by Brink Contemporary Arts, headed by Tim, the creative force behind the Leamington Mural Festival, known for bringing world-class street art to the region. Tim spent many weeks talking to local groups to shape the mural’s final design, ensuring the artwork reflected the voices and stories of the Warwick community. These included Friends of Priory Park, Warwickshire County Record Office, Warwick Youth Town Council and local Packmores area residents. The finishing touches to the mural were done by students from St Mary Immaculate Primary School following workshops within the school. The main mural designs were brought to life by Tim (Lord Numb) and colleague Gordon (Mig29).
“Bringing street art to Warwick is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” said Tim, founder of BRINK. “It’s been a real honour to talk to so many people across the town through all the workshops we have run, which helped us get a real feel for how everyone connects with ‘Priory Park’. We felt choosing a theme of a ‘Day in Priory Park’ allowed us to showcase the wildlife, alongside the historical and future aspects of the park. The reaction to the murals so far has been amazing. We really hope this could be the start of something bigger across Warwick!”
The project also attracted generous funding from Warwick District Council, King Henry VIII Endowed Trust, Warwick Relief in Need, Warwick Lions, Warwick Rotary Club & Warwickshire County Council and donated paint from Crown Paints.
Janette Eslick, Trustee at Priory Pools Community Centre, who led the mural project said:
“We are grateful to all the funders who made this project possible. Warwick District Council were the initial driving force in identifying the potential site and bringing the key stakeholders together. It has been a privilege to pick up this project and work with Tim to make it a reality with the support of all the funders and the Packmores Residents Group”
The mural project marks the first creative project linked to the new Priory Pools Community Centre, which is currently fundraising for a new purpose-built facility on the edge of Priory Park and the Packmores estate.
Amanda Burford, Chair of Priory Pools Community Centre and member of Packmores Residents Association, said:
“The response from the public has been overwhelming and we are now excited to focus on our next project: the new Priory Pools Community Centre. We have already raised over £1.6 million with a target of £2 million. You can see an image of our new centre sneaking into the ‘dawn’ mural as a symbol of new beginnings. We do hope that it isn’t too long before we can raise the final funds to get building and make this future a reality!.”
The project has only been made possible through the support of Network Rail. After granting a license to create this mural on their walls they worked collaboratively with the project team to make it happen. Fraser Pithie, communities manager for Network Rail’s Central route, said:
“During Community Rail week and as part of this year’s Railway 200 celebrations, we are proud to support this inspiring community art project. The mural really brightens up the area around the railway underpass. We hope you can spot the steam train in the design and that local people enjoy the murals for many years to come!”
You can find the murals by walking into Priory Park from Cape Road Car Park or up from the entrance on the Coventry Road. The What 3 Words reference is : https://w3w.co/point.modest.club
For more information on how to support the Priory Pools Community Centre please visit:
www.priorypoolscc.org or www.facebook.com/PrioryPoolsCommunityCentre
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