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A child stands silhouetted buy a bright sunny day, they are looking at a building across the road and on the red brick wall there is a large mural painting of a person with a coloured burst rising from their head.

Follow The Light / Keep Growing Keep Going

15th Jul 2021 — 31st Dec 2023
Project Details
Categories
  • Place
Creative Team
  • Producer: Rhyannon Parry
  • Heart of Glass Artist in Residence and Project Facilitator: Michelle Wren
  • Lead Artists: Nomad Clan: Jay Gilleard and Hayley Garner
  • Creative Directors: Residents of Parr
  • Torus Foundation: Kate Shone, Cathrine Brooks

Paying homage to Parr's proud history and looking towards its future

We've brought together residents in Parr, St Helens and internationally acclaimed street art duo Nomad Clan to design two murals, reflecting their area's rich industrial heritage and its strong community spirit.

Michelle Wren wears a striped shirt and an orange headband. She hangs up the designs for the mural with clothes pegs on a washing line
Michelle and a group of young people are drawing and discussing designs for the murals. They are stood round a table underneath a red gazebo.
Nomad Clan's Jay Gilleard helps a little girl spray paint a stencil design onto a t-shirt. Jay wears a black baseball cap, and a black t-shirt, they also have a khaki green and black face mask. The little girl is also dressed in black and has a large bow in her hair.
Nomad Clan's Jay Gilleard is pictured spray painting t-shirts with a group of Parr residents.

The designs for the project were developed through workshops with local residents. These workshops were led by Nomad Clan and Heart of Glass artist-in-residence, Michelle Wren, with funding and support from the Torus Foundation.

Two murals have been designed from this period of collaborative research and story gathering. Both filmic and dreamlike, one mural depicts an illuminated lantern, a nod to the area’s industrial heritage, with moths all around. Opposite, a second mural depicts the head of a young person surrounded by a cloud of colourful motifs.

Part of a series of public artworks platforming the work of women and LGBTQIA+ artists.

We Follow The Light mural by Nomad Clan. A large wall is painted with a mural depicting a gloved hand holding an old industrial lamp. The lamp glows orange and attracts moths towards it. To the side of this image are the words 'Carry the torch of your ancestors'

In the heart of Parr, the murals are situated across the road from Derbyshire Hill Family Centre, on the opposing walls of Wisesy's corner shop and Barbara's Hairdressers.

Derbyshire Hill Family Centre, Wisesy's and Barbara's are one organisation and two businesses owned - and run - by local residents for the benefit of their community.

Derbyshire Hill Family Centre. A single story building painted white with a red, corrugated metal roof. Signs on the building say "A Family Centre For All The Family" and "Everyone Welcome"
Two people stand behind a shop counter smiling. They each wear a tabard apron with the word 'Wiseys' and behind them are some shop shelves full of tins and packets of food.
Two people stand smiling in matching outfits in front of a wooden panelled shop window. Above them is a large sign with a silver design on a black background which reads 'Barbara's Hairstyles' with scissors.

About the murals, Nomad Clan say:

"The message the two murals share is how the past and present interlink, and the bonds we have with ancestors and relatives shape our futures.

It’s a great honor to be painting Parr's very first public murals, our hearts are set on celebrating the beautiful community spirit and unshakable endurance we have observed here.

We think it's important that places like Parr hold these stories and histories and look forward to the new generation by illuminating the magical parts of Parr, which are often overlooked but create a sense of wonderment for residents and surrounding areas of St Helens."

Visit

You'll find Follow the Light and Keep Growing Keep Going, opposite Derbyshire Hill Family Centre, on Rudd Avenue, 281 Derbyshire Hill Road, St Helens WA9 2LU.

About the artists

Nomad Clan

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Michelle Wren

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In partnership with

torus.co.uk
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