Together with Art of Protest (AOP) and community partners, Acomb's Front Street plans to celebrate in style on Saturday 22nd March unveiling a community mural and 8 bench refurbishments. This exciting event will start at the mural, located at Front Street/Cross Street (SNIPS Barbers) at 4pm and continue from 6pm at BlueBird Bakery, Rise. Everyone is welcome!
Come meet the local artists and AOP team, get involved in pop up spray paint activities and take your own piece of art away, as well as enjoy the community art exhibition and DJ set at Rise.
This has been possible thanks to UK Shared Prosperity Fund grant which AOP was awarded by the City of York Council in December 2024. This exciting project aims to revitalise the street, and create a welcoming, more vibrant and accessible space for the entire community that everyone can be proud of.
While AOP works across the UK, the team are locally based and have LOVED delivering an extensive engagement on their home turf. At the heart of the project, the community voice and spirit has shaped and inspired the designs.
HOW DID AOP LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY?
After listening to the community feedback gathered by the City of York Council, AOP then undertook a comprehensive consultation programme. At each event, AOP provided a history of street art styles, and shared knowledge about Acomb’s heritage and green spaces. Participants developed their own spray painting skills while sharing their views and completing a feedback form. AOP spoke with over 30 local businesses, delivered 17 community consultation events, as well as attending four local schools, the Greater Acomb Community Forum and Acomb Local History Group. The youngest participant was 2 years old, and the oldest was in her 90s.
STREET ART ACADEMY
A key part of the project was talent development, and AOP delivered a Street Art Academy to foster future artists within the community. AOP ran the academy for three age ranges teaching skills in spray painting technique, working with others to design and deliver a piece and moving on to shadowing opportunities at the mural to learn how to create a large - piece. This is a structured course which covers our 5 C methodology; curiosity, confidence, capability, collaboration and creativity. Strangers partnered together to bring to life their vision and design. Four participants were successful to be chosen as part of our talent development where they will shadow the production of the Front Street mural, learning valuable skills, knowledge and confidence to capacity building in our local area. Feedback from the sessions included “It was fantastic!”.
Sarah fed back "Thank you to you and your team for all the community engagement opportunities". One of the winners of the talent development said "This was my favourite activity and I want to be an artist".
WHAT DID PEOPLE SAY?
Feedback regarding the events included they were “Exhilarating”, “loved it” and “it's a lovely feeling to think my kids have played a small part in creating the community art”. Many asked “Can we do more in the future” and “It would be great to see more bits of Acomb brightened up with art”.
From the consultations, it's clear Acomb has a rich heritage starting from the ice ages shaping the highest points in York, links to the Romans and rumours of Celtic settlers and proud participants sharing that Acomb in Old English means “Place of the trees” and it truly was where once a great Oak forest stood. As part of the project 50 eco-friendly plant pots with plants were gifted to residents.
AOP learnt that the complexity of colours too close together can confuse perspective, making it difficult for those visually impaired to orientate and navigate - so are tailoring the benches to ensure that they meet accessibility needs for the community.
From the consultations, the majority of the community expressed they would like to see blue, green and red and to ensure the mural is bright. The key themes for style were geometric, abstract and dominant themes of wildlife and nature. Feedback about content included trees and wildlife, as well as a link to Acomb’s heritage including Romans, vikings and local landmarks.
For the benches the majority of the feedback focused on each bench having a different theme and including links to nature. One resident suggested having, “Leaf emblems - so there is an oak bench, a beech bench, a silver birch bench etc - people should be able to say - see you at the apple bench for example.” AOP plan to signpost residents and visitors to local green spaces.
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
AOP certainly felt that it was a privilege to see young people be curious, grow with confidence and feel comfortable with being creative. Three pupils shared they had ADHD, Autism and another pupil hearing impaired - but they expressed how the activity made them feel they could achieve anything. One said it “was the best thing I’ve ever done in my life” and he didn’t think he could be good at anything, but now he knew he could. Local schools are keen for AOP to provide ongoing provision and AOP are thinking creatively about accessing or raising funding to deliver this.
AOP would warmly like to thank Greater Acomb Community Forum, The Place, Acomb Local History Group, Acomb Explore Library, The Gateway Church, Bluebird Bakery, Hob Moor Community Primary Academy, Carr Lane Juniors, York High School, Acomb Primary School, UK SPF, City of York Council and all the community!
Event locations The Snip Barber Shop, Front Street, Acomb YO24 3BJ and BlueBird Bakery, 201 Acomb Road, Acomb, York, YO24 4HD
To find out more please email info.aopprojects@gmail.com
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