A COMMUNITY art wall has been created in Church Street, thanks to some of the best Basingstoke artists and school children.

The vibrant art wall has been commissioned by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and the Festival Place to “celebrate our town, its people and community spirit”.

The piece has been created by artists Kev Munday, Sian Storey Art and Fatima Pantoja, and school children from Manor Field Infant, Rucstall Primary, St Bede’s Catholic Primary, South View Infant, Oakridge Junior and Chalk Ridge Primary.

Festival Place said in a social media post that displaying the art wall in Church Street was a brilliant way to brighten up the area.

Leader of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council Cllr Simon Bound said: “We are delighted that Festival Place have transformed this area into a colourful place for residents and visitors to enjoy and to showcase the work of our talented Basingstoke artists and local children.

“Together with town centre businesses and organisations, we are planning to breathe new life into Basingstoke town centre, including improving how it looks. It is good to see that our strong arts community is already playing an active role in this project and building on Streets Alive.”

Festival Place director Neil Churchill said: “We love the vibrant buzz around the centre!

“We know many people went above and beyond during the pandemic, and we want to recognise them as well as shine a light on all the other positive things that make where we live so special.

“Our community spirit has never been so important, so we decided to shout about it!

“We asked local artists and schoolchildren to work together to create a mural for our new community wall and we love the result!”

Fátima Pantoja said: “It has been amazing working with the kids from Rucstall Primary School and Oakridge Infant School.

“It is wonderful to see them so passionate about art, so creative.

“Art has proven to be a key element, particularly during the last couple of years and it is wonderful to see how kids from all ages develop their artistic skills within the school environment.

“They all managed to surprise me and went beyond my expectations. I loved putting all their designs into the final mural!”

Sian Storey said: “Being able to work with young people in schools really brought the project to life. I think that by involving the community with a project of this scale helps give them ownership and a connection to the final artwork.

“My designs are inspired by the ideas we discussed and the bird paintings that were made in the workshops, they were bright, joyous and full of character.

“The final artwork celebrates the beauty of nature here in and around our town of Basingstoke. Using the pupils’ stories of wildlife they have encountered, the artwork brings interest, colour and the tranquility of nature to a large urban space.

“We are so busy in our day to day lives that I hope this artwork makes people stop, look up and enjoy the moment.”

Check out the gallery above to see the artworks. If you are going to Basingstoke town, don't forget to visit Church Street and check out the paintings.