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Bristol street artists to create Southville Primary murals

Southville Primary School Pupils watching Farrah Fortnam designing on a school buildingSouthville Primary School
Pupils watch artist Farrah Fortnam creating designs on one of the school buildings

A primary school is linking-up with a number of artists to create street art on its buildings.

Southville Primary School in Bristol is part of the area where Europe's largest street art festival, Upfest, is held.

It has taken inspiration from the event to launch its own celebration called Southfest, and is welcoming seven artists to the school throughout March.

Headteacher Andy Bowman said: "We want to share the joy and freedom of using art as a means of self-expression."

Professional artists will be creating original works both inside and outside of the school buildings, in a project being run in partnership with the University of Bath and Bath Spa University.

Southville Primary School Andy CouncilSouthville Primary School
Andy Council is among the artists creating designs at the school

Artists have been leading assemblies and gathering ideas from pupils to inspire their art.

The work will last four weeks, culminating in an open event on 27 March, when parents and the community will be able to see the finished pieces.

Southville Primary School Tom HodgkinsonSouthville Primary School
Tom Hodgkinson's work focuses on animals and nature

Mr Bowman said: "We are surrounded by amazing street art in our local area thanks to Upfest.

"Two of our school values are connection and imagination, so the creative, expressive spirit at the heart of the Bristol street art community really resonates with us and we want to tap into this spirit and leave a lasting legacy on our walls."

The artists creating murals at the school are Andy Council, Farrah Fortnam, Venessa Scott, Oli T, Tom Hodgkinson, Jemma Bursnell and Ben van Praag.

The school has also commissioned a piece by a year six pupil who is a "street artist of the future", said Mr Bowman.

Southville Primary School Jemma BursnellSouthville Primary School
Jemma Bursnell's work is brightening up the school corridors

He added: "It is all about giving the children chance to engage with the artists and be a part of their creative process, before seeing them in action and watching the art evolve in front of their eyes.

"The additional impact is that for decades to come children will share their school with these fantastic original works of art, and with the artists embedded into our curriculum - that is a really exciting legacy of Southfest."

Pupils will also be designing their own piece of word art in a language they speak at home as part of a university project called Co-Creative Celebration of Multilingualism through Arts.

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