You are viewing an archived entry from the 2023 awards

2023
People’s Choice Award 2023 Bronze Longform Under £350,000

Withington Walls
Make yourself at home

Withington Walls

Withington, its residents and their public art is captured in an uplifting short film called 

MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME

  • "Withington, a suburb to the south of Manchester, could be any old village. But the people of Withington have decided to give life and colour to their streets, making it truly feel like home. Meet the people behind Withington Walls, a community street art project, and the impact the walls have on the locals."

    Director: George Cooke
    Producer: Henry Bolden
    AP: Simone Ziel
    Editor: Joe Cotton
    DOP: Liam Lee Woods
    Stream Lead: Simon Stanton-Sharma
    MA Drama Production for TV, Film & Digital Media, Salford Uni

VIBRANT PUBLIC ART AS A CATALYST FOR CHANGE

Withington Walls is a community street art project, funded by donations and run by volunteers. It is principally funded by local people, and the artwork is in their image.

The project has helped rejuvenate a suburb of South Manchester called Withington by turning grey boring walls and shop shutters into something beautiful by enlisting the talents of, principally local, artists. Some of these are up and coming, some are well established "names"

The idea is to create a sense of 'place', of vibrancy, and character through an injection of colour and street art. That it could be an inspiration and a source of pride and joy for local people. That a platform could be provided for artists to express themselves.

Over 3 years, the project has delivered 100+ artworks on street cabinets, shop shutters and walls - the most famous being the one of Marcus Rashford by AkseP19 which has become iconic. 4 “queer cacti” art installations on lamp posts, that make a colourful, welcoming and inclusive statement, with zip-ties that match the colours of the LGBTQIA+ flag.

By showing that people care about improving how Withington looks and feels, through celebrating positive role models with local connections, highlighting important issues, and being inclusive, it is hoped that it will not just raise a smile but that people will look after the area more and make their own positive contributions to society or inspire creativity in them.

instagram.com/withingtonwalls

twitter.com/withingtonwalls

http://withingtonwalls.co.uk

UN Sustainable Development Goals

We align with the following UN Sustainable Development Goals: