Leading street artists selected to revamp Mansfield Railway Station

A community-based initiative hopes to revitalise the public underpass and platform areas at Mansfield Railway Station, with the installation of a permanent art piece.

The project has come about after the current state of the underpass and platforms were identified as a barrier to people accessing the station and the nearby areas of the town. This venture hopes to change this, and as creatively as possible.

Teaming up under their practice ‘Lick of Paint’, artists Megan Russell (Peachzz) and Alastair Flindall (Kunstity) will be working with Year 5 students from Sutton Road Primary and Nursery School to come up with a design, inspired by the local area.

The project is being funded by Community Rail Network, East Midlands Rail, Cross Country Trains, Nottinghamshire County Council, Mansfield District Council, Robin Hood Line Community Rail Partnership. They are working in partnership with First Art, Network Rail, Sutton Road Primary and Nursery School, and Mansfield Town Football Club to deliver the project.

The partnership was keen that young people were involved to ensure the community shapes, takes ownership, and safeguards the endurance of the artworks.

The Sutton Road students have been involved from the start, helping to select the artists from the shortlisted candidates.

Peachzz and Kunstity will undertake a series of workshops with the students to formulate ideas before developing the final piece. The duo will then create the artwork in situ on the walls of the underpass towards the end of May. The artwork will also be replicated on 34 Perspex panels that sit on the station platforms, adding some colour to the station itself.

Working alongside these artists will help the students increase both their artistic and environmental awareness while developing and using creative communication skills to identify themes of local interest.

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Peachzz and Kunstity, who both champion the wider benefits of projects like these, said:

“We're passionate about encouraging children to create and experiment freely with art. And, by meeting and working with artists, it's a chance to show young people what's possible; that they too can follow a path in the arts if they want to.

“It's so important to bring art into communities where they don't get the exposure in the same way as the big towns and cities and to introduce them to different mediums and creativity.

“It is proven throughout the world that a lick of paint can transform a space and uplift social attitudes. We can't wait to get started.”

The final piece will bring together ideas and illustrations from the school children, married with Peachzz and Kunstity’s guidance and bold style.

The Sheffield-based artists have previously worked on projects internationally and closer to home, including Nottingham City Hospital.

The final artwork is due to be officially unveiled on 9 June. An exhibition of the students’ work for the project, together with recent works by the artists, will be on show at the same time in the First Art shop situated in Four Seasons Shopping Centre, Mansfield.