We Live Here, a large-scale public art project taking place in Eccles between 21st July – 30th September 2023, exhibits artwork from notable artists and members of the community living and working in the historic market town, transforming public spaces and prominent venues across the town centre.
Part of Eccles’ ambitious regeneration programme, the Salford City Council commission sees global art producer Wild in Art work with local, internationally recognised artists, plus residents and community groups, to deliver an outdoor gallery throughout the shopping centre, ranging from striking installations and murals, to powerful digital art and paintings, that will inject life and colour back into the town.
Manchester’s own mural painter and illustrator Hammo has created a mural on the side of Eccles Market, celebrating the history of the markets and shining a light on present-day traders, and street artist Qubek has produced a beautiful mural that references that Eccles has been a place that has welcomed diverse communities over the years and played a key role in the industrial revolution .
Internationally acclaimed Manchester-based street artist Aylo (Nomad Clan) has created a stunning mural inspired by old botanical drawings, highlighting the beauty of Eccles’ wildflowers and the need to protect our local wildlife.
Working with Salford Youth Service LGBTQ+ youth club and pupils from The Arbour Academy, multi-disciplinary artist Lauren Mullarkey has created a colourful textile installation, producing flowers and fruits from hand-dyed silk and knitted flora from Smiths’ Knits to create a spectacular installation inspired by the flora that has historically grown in cottage gardens in Eccles.
Based at the Puzzle
Factory in Eccles, contemporary artist Stephen M Campbell has produced a mural on Church Street which features the landmarks around Eccles, celebrating the historic market town as a pioneer of engineering.
Further artwork on display across the historic town centre includes pop up exhibitions from members of Salford Art Group and From The Art of Salford, a mixed media installation created by Humbug Art in collaboration with young people within the local community, drawings of local birds by Age UK Salford Friday Morning Art Group printed onto vinyls, oil paintings by Philip Westcott photographed and printed onto vinyl, book bench sculptures hand painted by Caroline Coates, Roy Meats, plus friends of Wild in Art Jess Perrin and Donna Newman, and a showcase of arts and crafts from local artists at Eccles Community Art Gallery.
Printed trail maps are available to pick up at locations around Eccles and an online trail map is also available to download, giving individuals the opportunity to follow the trail and discover each exhibit.
The project celebrates the local community, and the unique character and heritage of Eccles, whilst also looking forward to the future, creating a message of change and hope.
The Eccles regeneration programme presents a hugely exciting opportunity for the town to reinvent itself with a vibrant town centre through major change at the heart of the historic market town.
The programme is a shared vision and collaborative project, as Salford City Council are working closely with local organisations, community groups, and businesses to create and deliver these changes.
Councillor Mike McCusker, Lead Member for Planning, Transport and Sustainable Development, Salford City Council, said:
“The We Live Here art trail in the retail heart of Eccles will be an exciting addition for local residents and visitors alike to explore the vibrant artworks in spaces that they may pass by each day – from the Eccles Shopping Centre up through to Eccles Market, looping round to Eccles Gateway and library, and along Church Street.
It’s fantastic to have local artists and community groups in collaboration to deliver this trail, helping to shape what will be a colourful and joyful final showcase of public art open to all to enjoy from Friday 21 July – I really can’t wait to explore and for the trail to come to life!”
Wild in Art is the leading producer of spectacular public art events that have animated cities across the globe including Manchester (Bee in the City 2018 and 50 Windows of Creativity 2020), Sydney, Auckland, and Cape Town, and created trails for historic events such as London 2012 Olympics & the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Ben Reed, Head of Creative Development at Wild in Art said: “It’s really exciting to be involved in a project that forms part of the regeneration strategy of Eccles; it has so much potential and such a rich history. The feedback from the public as the artwork has been created has been heart-warming, I can’t wait to see how people respond when it’s all installed.”
