Queen Mary’s College proudly partnered with the Arts and Culture Department at Basingstoke and Deane Council to set Art students an exciting brief to produce original mural designs for the town. On Monday 18th May, friends, family, and the local community gathered at Festival Place to vote, where two winners were picked to bring their vision to life.
The Brief: Transforming Deep Lane
Ross Harvie and Alison Hamilton from the Council tasked students to develop their own designs inspired by community and sports for a wall located in King George V park.
The goal was to create an engaging visual piece that celebrates the local area, requiring students to carefully consider the scale, architectural surroundings, and the diverse community that interacts with the space daily.
The Importance of Industry Experience
Projects such as this one are critical, as they allow students to work as fully practising artists, challenging them to creatively respond within the constraints of a professional, real-world brief.
It also provides them with the opportunity to understand how the skills they have been developing in the classroom can be translated from paper and digital screens into large-scale artistic creations that make a significant impact in the world.
Other than the mural itself, the initiative highlights the value of the town’s local youth contributing positively to the community. The project proves that youth-led art is a powerful tool to connect, uplift and transform shared spaces.
By taking on a professional brief from start to finish, students not only build confidence and develop a standout portfolio, but they also gain the responsibility and public platform needed to prepare them for successful creative careers.
Winners Revealed
On 18th May, all of the student concepts were on public display in an exhibition at the Creation Space at Festival Place. Students who participated in the challenge were joined by family, friends, community groups, Council representatives, and residents of Deep Lane and Brookvale to celebrate the hard work and creativity of every student, before casting their votes for the winning design.
Following the public vote, Matilda and Logan’s designs were selected as the winning entries.
The Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane, Cllr Jacky Tustain, also attended the exhibition to view the submissions. She spoke about the importance of trusting young people, a sentiment beautifully reflected in the gallery of art on display. The Mayor highlighted how inspiring it was to see the next generation of local talent using their creativity to directly shape the future look of Basingstoke.
With the official endorsements secured and the community’s backing decided, anticipation is now building to see these artistic visions permanently transform Deep Lane when the physical painting phase begins in June.
