Artists hope Ipswich Waterfront murals will inspire others

Three murals have been created on Ipswich's Waterfront, with the aim of inspiring the community through art.

They have been created on hoardings at St Peter's Dock and Stoke Bridge Skate Park by youngsters from across Suffolk.

Daisy Lees, from Art Eat Events, said it was part of a "long-term ambition to create as many murals as possible on the waterfront and around the town".

"Art is important, that's what we're trying to say with these, it inspires and it makes life better," she said.

Funded by Suffolk County Council's Covid Continuity Fund for Culture, young people's art workshops have been taking place since February with artists Lily Hammond, Frederico Ramos, Verity Slade, Keith Hopewell and Nikki Goldup.

They have worked with youngsters from organisations in Ipswich, including the African and Caribbean Youth Creative Learning Experience (ACYCLE), Karibu Supplementary School, The Kurdish Mosque Youth Group, plus those at The Hive and Eastern Angles Centre.

"The young people fed inspiration and ideas and gave support to the artists in creating their designs so it's a collaborative work," Ms Lees said.

"There's a social aspect to creating art with people who have something to say.

"There's an expression that goes 'anything is better than a blank wall', that's the London street art movement expression.

"But we're not London, we're Ipswich and Ipswich people have things to say as well."

One of the artists involved, Lily Hammond, said she had worked with ACYCLE to create a collection looking at people of colour who inspired them and, as such, her work depicts American poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou.

"I think it's really important to have people to look up to, to have role models, especially in a rural community like Suffolk," she said.

"It's really important to feel represented.

"Maya Angelou is pretty inspirational. It will let young people of Ipswich know that anything really is possible if you put your mind to it."

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