Shoreline Project mural has ecological message
A SECOND mural has popped up in Hull as part of The Shorelines Project, an art and activism enterprise launched in October.
Titled “All is Connected”, the artwork was created in just 12 hours in Hull’s Paragon Interchange.
The Shorelines Project is being run by social action group, Rights : Community : Action, and the new mural follows on from the first work, The Girl, created on a Hull College building in George Street.
As part of the 18-month community engagement campaign, mural number two came to life with the aim of empowering Hull’s residents to be better informed, educated and prepared for climate change.
A series of ten murals will appear around the city to act as a reminder of the real risks the city faces, and a call to action.
Ocean conservationist Nicky “Nemo” Smedley approached The Shorelines Project to offer her extensive knowledge in protecting the underwater environment and highlighted just how important the sea is to a city like Hull, being built on the edge of a tidal river and whose fortunes were transformed because of the fishing industry.
Working in partnership with scuba diver organisation PADI, Project Aware, Bite Back and The Shark Trust, Nicky brought the vision to Calvin Innes, artist and creative director at Drunk Animal, who used it to inspire All is Connected.
Nicky said: “I’ve been campaigning against climate change and ocean conservation for years so when The Shorelines Project arrived in the city, I knew I had to get involved.
“The ocean is the largest habitat on the planet, it is the most exploited, yet the least protected. People don’t realise the huge role it plays in our lives, and particularly those in Hull; it has literally fuelled the city’s prosperity since the 1800s.
“This mural connects the land to the sea, and will help to educate people on the vulnerability of our environment, oceans and planet as a whole.”
Thanks to Transpennine Express, the mural sits proudly in a free commercial unit at Hull Paragon Interchange.
Painting directly onto the window of the unit, Calvin worked on the inside so the mural can be seen by passers-by. It also had to be installed back to front, creating an added challenge to the installation, which will remain in place for the next few months.
Nicky said: “Seeing the completed piece in Hull Paragon Station and knowing that I could contribute even slightly feels like a huge honour.
“I’m hoping it’s going to send out a strong message that protecting our oceans for the sake of our future is vital.”
Rights : Community : Action is now calling on the city’s residents to help create the next mural.
Naomi Luhde-thompson, chief executive at the group, said: “We want The Shorelines Project to act as a lasting reminder to the people of Hull that its future can be rewritten if we work together to demand change.
“The city has the potential to become the leader in flood prevention, but only if the community raises the issue to the highest levels. Through our art project, we want to empower communities and ensure their voice is heard, it’s essential in the fight against global warming.”
■ Visit www.theshorelinesproject.com for more information.