Owlcotes Centre community mosaic tackles graffiti problems

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It’s official! Seagulls’ mosaic on the Owlcotes subway wall has been officially unveiled by a handful of local councillors and school children. CAT HYDE, from Seagulls social enterprise, explains how the project came about:

Pupils from Primrose Hill Primary at the official opening of the Owlcotes community mosaic

We were approached by Leeds City Council’s Highways department with the hope that Seagulls could help tackle the problem of graffiti on the subway walls.

FROM THIS: A dark, dingy area which was a magnet for anti-social behaviour …

The walkway leading up from The Owlcotes Centre and into Pudsey has attracted a lot of anti-social behaviour and offensive scribbles.

TO THIS… The finished Owlcotes Centre subway mosaic…

Leading on from the success of two subway projects we have done in the east of the city, Highways thought this wall would benefit from a similar large scale community arts project.

Pudsey youngsters help put the mural together with help from Cat Hyde from Seagulls …

The project was funded by the council’s Outer West Area Committee, designed and made by children from Primrose Hill Primary School, with additional workshops being held at Bramley Elderly Action and a youth group in Pudsey.

In total Seagulls, which is based off Kirkstall Road, worked with 450 children and about 60 adults to create a colourful and cheerful piece of public art.

Seagulls workers hard at work on one part of the Owlcotes subway community mosaic in Pudsey.

The project is large in scale and is already proving to be a deterrent for anti-social behaviour and graffiti.

The mosaic has had a glowing response from the public and Councillor Mick Coulson (Lab, Pudsey) in his opening speech committed further funding to the project to continue the mosaic further down towards Owlcotes Shopping Centre.

Exciting times ahead!

   

   
   
   
   

   

   

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