A suburb in Manchester let artists loose on shop shutters and walls. Now it hopes to inspire other towns to do the same
“Withington could become known for it,” says Ed Wellard, one of the founders of Withington Walls, a project based in the Manchester suburb of Withington.
He heads up a group of people doing what they can to brighten up the neighbourhood, by creating art on shutters and walls.
“The intention is to create a sense of place, of vibrancy and character through an injection of colour and street art,” says Wellard. “We think it could become an inspiration and a source of pride to local people.”
Since the project started 18 months ago, a wide range of artists have painted more than 45 shop shutters and have created 15 murals on walls.
“It has really changed, for the better, how the village looks and feels,” says Wellard.
Main image: Ed Wellard
This article is the latest in our ‘reinventing the high street’ series. In recent weeks, Positive News has been shining a light on the people, places and projects that are breathing new life into the UK’s town and city centres as many retail giants abandon them.
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