Big Wall project to create new artwork for Worle in Weston-super-Mare
23 January 2025
A new, collaborative project is inspiring young Art Activists in Weston to co-create a legacy artwork for the Worle area in Weston-super-Mare.
‘Big Wall’ is a Big Worle initiative launched in November 2024, funded by Local Trust and supported by Weston-super-Mare Town Council and Super Culture.
It will engage young people in the Worle area through creative activities that explore different forms of wall art to develop new, site-specific artworks for the central blue zone in Worle.
The project, led by Weston-based artist and project facilitator Sam Francis, and Community Producer Sophie Shepherd, will culminate in a legacy public artwork for Worle that will be unveiled in Summer 2025.
Following presentations about the project at Worle Community School and Priory Community School, a group of young people, aged 13 to 16, have formed a panel of Art Activists.
Through the ‘Big Wall’ programme of activities, including regular meet-ups, workshops with guest artists and trips to iconic art sites in Bristol and London, the participants will discover the process of creating public arts.
The aim is for the panel of young people to develop their own individual voices within these sessions and help to shape the direction of the project, which will cover areas ranging from street art, word art, poster projects, fly-posting, billboards and murals to stencilling, stickers, freehand drawing, projection and digital mapping, freehand drawing and 3D wall-based art.
Weston-based artist and Big Wall project facilitator, Sam Francis said: “Activist Art is rooted in the act of ‘doing’ and addresses social issues, challenging the status quo to inspire change through creative expression.
“Through ‘Big Wall’ young people will look at how this artform can be used to communicate ideas and messages that respond to the local community as well as the wider world that they are part of.
“As the project unfolds, participants will discover how public art happens and explore social action in arts and culture through wall-based, site-specific artworks in public places – graffiti and beyond!”
Charlie Lester, Chair of Big Worle, said: “Big Worle are proud to collaborate with Super Culture on this inspiring project. We are excited to see what the panel of young people will create for our legacy, community piece to showcase at our finale event in August 2025”.
Creative sessions that have taken place so far include an introductory workshop where the art activists created their own graffiti name tags; Big Worle Hub’s Community Halloween event with the ‘Big Wall Black-out Coven’, creating collaborative glow-in-the-dark UV artworks, a Weston town centre guided tour of artworks including Weston Wallz, led by local artist Bev G Star and a Creative Activism workshop with Bristol artist, illustrator and muralist Rosa ter Kuile / RTiiiKA, where young people created their own protest posters.
Local Trust is a place-based funder supporting communities to achieve their ambitions. It was established in 2012 to deliver Big Local, a National Lottery Community-funded programme, which committed £1m each to 150 areas across England to create lasting change in their neighbourhoods over 10 to 15 years.
Big Worle was lucky enough to secure this funding for Worle in Weston-super-Mare. As part of this, projects have been created to provide a legacy for the area with activities for young people a high priority, including the ‘Big Wall’ initiative.
For updates about the ‘Big Wall’ project, visit superculture.org.uk and follow @superculturewsm and @BigWorle on Facebook.
