HideOut Youth Zone has become the latest site to feature a hand-painted mural as part of Manchester’s ‘street art trail.’
The artwork, designed and produced by artist Richard Preston with support from HideOut members, reflects the rich history of Belle Vue and Gorton as well as the local environment and wildlife of the surrounding Gorton Park.
The project also saw young people giving their input to shape the piece in a collaborative paint pen workshop and learning essential spray can techniques to help complete the design.
Speaking more on his experience creating the piece, Preston shared:
“It was great to be a part of this project. I got to paint the history of the area on the best community centre, in a beautiful park and it was great to see the locals enjoying it coming together.”
“It’s great to work with the young people on this; it’s very important to me to show them that choosing art as a career is possible. They did a great job and hopefully I’ll return to teach them more.”
“Art is important for mental health and inspiring people. We all use art for different reasons. I use it because I think it’s important to make people smile.”
Corey, a young member who supported on the project, reflected on his experience stating that:
“It was really cool getting to help spray paint the wall design. I got to learn different tricks and techniques like how to round off and complete certain areas and create bold outlines to make things stand out even more. It was a fun challenge, and I really enjoyed it.”
Preston’s Manchester street art murals first began in Levenshulme with Emley Street’s kingfisher piece, before continuing the trail in several areas across South Manchester including Reddish, Gorton and Denton.
Commissioned by Manchester City Council, the murals aim to add vibrancy and colour to local spaces, encouraging communities to engage more with art, nature and the places around them.
By going to see the artworks, residents and visitors alike are able to explore and learn more about the areas, helping to foster a greater sense of appreciation for the beauty and variety of these environments.
Preston is continuing to collaborate with local communities and councils to create further mural designs that capture the spirit of different areas.
A map of his existing mural sites and trail is currently in production and set to be released soon.
