A street art installation celebrating community pride has been unveiled in the heart of the Byker estate.
Eight vibrant, street art murals portraying what Byker means to the local community are hanging proud on the side of the Northern Stage youth project building on Brinkburn Steet, thanks to a partnership between Karbon Homes ELEMENTS street art festival.
Co-created with young people living on the estate, collectively the murals illustrate the diversity of the Byker community and include Byker’s iconic colours.
Michelle Bell, Assistant Director of Byker Community for Karbon Homes, said: “We’re very proud to see this brilliant street art exhibition on display in the heart of Byker, perfectly portraying what a vibrant, community focused and proud place Byker is.
“It’s been fantastic forging links with our local creative industries to provide this opportunity for our young people to express what home and the estate means to them. I hope it’ll make people walking by smile, and for those who live here I hope it gives them a sense of pride in living in Byker.”
The artwork, which replaces the ground floor window covers of the Northern Stage building, was created by local artist and ELEMENTS festival founder MarkOne87 (Mark Shields), with help from the young people on the estate.
Working with specialist youth service Foundation Futures and Byker Primary School, Mark ran workshops with the kids to develop ideas and ensure the artwork portrayed the community through their eyes.
Mark said: “It’s brilliant to see the finished artwork up on display and the young people so excited and proud of what they’ve achieved. They were really engaged with the project from the start and had so many ideas on what they wanted to say through the art. I was amazed by their positive and community spirit, and I feel very privileged to have been able to help them tell their story of living on the estate.”
Karbon Homes and Mark began working together in the summer, when they partnered on the creation and installation of a street art board for the first ELEMENTS street art festival art trail.
Georgia Bates, Alternative Education Team Lead at Foundation Futures, said: “Our young people at Byker Futures have found the project really rewarding. They’ve gained new skills and confidence through the process and have produced fantastic artwork that will bring lasting benefits to the local community.
“It’s been fantastic for boosting their sense of pride in where they live and giving them an outlet to express what the estate means to them, which in turn has encouraged community togetherness and created a sense of belonging. They absolutely loved working with Mark, who made sure everyone felt included and value.”
The project is part of Karbon’s Fair Foundations approach to placeshaping, delivering projects and initiatives in its communities that help make lasting change and help change perceptions.
Byker is one of Karbon’s Fair Foundations Impact Areas, where the organisation will work in partnership with local residents, local government, health, education, community organisations, and major employers to develop a ground up place-based approach, that aims to deliver long-term growth and prosperity for the area.
A street art installation celebrating community pride has been unveiled in the heart of the Byker estate.
Eight vibrant, street art murals portraying what Byker means to the local community are hanging proud on the side of the Northern Stage youth project building on Brinkburn Steet, thanks to a partnership between Karbon Homes ELEMENTS street art festival.
Co-created with young people living on the estate, collectively the murals illustrate the diversity of the Byker community and include Byker’s iconic colours.
Michelle Bell, Assistant Director of Byker Community for Karbon Homes, said: “We’re very proud to see this brilliant street art exhibition on display in the heart of Byker, perfectly portraying what a vibrant, community focused and proud place Byker is.
“It’s been fantastic forging links with our local creative industries to provide this opportunity for our young people to express what home and the estate means to them. I hope it’ll make people walking by smile, and for those who live here I hope it gives them a sense of pride in living in Byker.”
The artwork, which replaces the ground floor window covers of the Northern Stage building, was created by local artist and ELEMENTS festival founder MarkOne87 (Mark Shields), with help from the young people on the estate.
Working with specialist youth service Foundation Futures and Byker Primary School, Mark ran workshops with the kids to develop ideas and ensure the artwork portrayed the community through their eyes.
Mark said: “It’s brilliant to see the finished artwork up on display and the young people so excited and proud of what they’ve achieved. They were really engaged with the project from the start and had so many ideas on what they wanted to say through the art. I was amazed by their positive and community spirit, and I feel very privileged to have been able to help them tell their story of living on the estate.”
Karbon Homes and Mark began working together in the summer, when they partnered on the creation and installation of a street art board for the first ELEMENTS street art festival art trail.
Georgia Bates, Alternative Education Team Lead at Foundation Futures, said: “Our young people at Byker Futures have found the project really rewarding. They’ve gained new skills and confidence through the process and have produced fantastic artwork that will bring lasting benefits to the local community.
“It’s been fantastic for boosting their sense of pride in where they live and giving them an outlet to express what the estate means to them, which in turn has encouraged community togetherness and created a sense of belonging. They absolutely loved working with Mark, who made sure everyone felt included and value.”
The project is part of Karbon’s Fair Foundations approach to placeshaping, delivering projects and initiatives in its communities that help make lasting change and help change perceptions.
Byker is one of Karbon’s Fair Foundations Impact Areas, where the organisation will work in partnership with local residents, local government, health, education, community organisations, and major employers to develop a ground up place-based approach, that aims to deliver long-term growth and prosperity for the area.
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