Sheffield Park Students Transform Local Subway

In one of her first duties as new Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Cllr Dr Sylvia Dunkley saw how students at Sheffield Park Academy have helped bring a local subway to life when she officially unveiled their spectacular mural on Monday 23^rd May.

Working in partnership with Sheffield City Council, the East Community Assembly and Urban Canvas (a public arts collective) and with funding from the local Crime Prevention Unit, the academy set its BTEC students the challenge of transforming the subway between the Prince of Wales Road and Sheffield Parkway - a busy thoroughfare used by students and local families.

Leading the scheme for the academy were Vice Principal Craig Dillon and Curriculum Leader for Art Wayne Fallon, who, along with professional artists Pete Barber and Antony Donnelly from Urban Canvas, provided guidance and support to the students throughout the project.

Wayne Fallon said: "The project was part of our commitment to providing our students with creative and diverse learning experiences - something it has certainly achieved.  It has introduced students to fresh ideas and ways of working and has given them the opportunity to express themselves in new and innovative ways."

The mural itself was a cross-academy collaboration, with students from the Year 11 BTEC art group working on the mehndi designs, members of the art club creating the source material in a series of photography workshops and a 14 strong group actually producing the mural during the Easter holidays.

Titled ‘Galvanize,' the finished piece celebrates the best the community has to offer, with the grey background representing steel and the white floral design representing the white rose of Yorkshire.

A delighted Sheffield Park Academy Principal Maria Nightingale said: "We are incredibly proud of our students here at the academy, who we believe are Sheffield's finest.  This project has provided the ideal opportunity for them to showcase their creativity and skills and the finished product is absolutely superb."

Cllr Sylvia Dunkley said: "I am delighted to be able to give official recognition to this fantastic piece of work.  This is a great platform to showcase the talents of these young people and as this is a busy thoroughfare, I hope the mural will be seen by hundreds of commuters everyday."

Please see below a link to the BBC and Sheffield Star website's coverage of the official opening by the Lord Mayor:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-13506698

http://www.thestar.co.uk:80/news/subway_galvanized_artists_into_action_1_3411683