A GIANT mural recognising the heroic efforts of frontline workers during the Covid outbreak is to be installed in Leamington town centre.
Community interest company Creative Leamington is spearheading ‘The Frontline Project’ which will see a series of murals go up in South Town as a lasting tribute to local key workers.
The first image of typical frontline roles will cover a wall in Spencer Yard and will be brought to life with first-hand accounts of those working during the pandemic.
Company founders Chris Knight and his wife, Martina Bussi, worked with illustrator Danny Coyne, to create the artwork which will be painted by local street art organisation BRINK Contemporary. The two organisations aim to turn Spencer Yard into a street art gallery.
Ahead of the mural going up in September, pavement stickers will start appearing around the town centre featuring QR codes directing people to The Frontline Project website where they can read the personal stories of local key workers.
They include a radiographer, doctor, respiratory consultant, carer, social worker, delivery driver, teacher, refuse collector, pharmacist, security guard and postal worker.
Chris said: “The idea for the mural came from us wanting to transfer the energy that we all had clapping on our doorsteps to creating a lasting tribute to the frontline workers which would acknowledge and maintain our huge appreciation.
“We wanted the image to be interactive so people could access the stories and testimonies of local people who had worked so hard through the pandemic.”
Danny added: “We came up with the concept of a group hero shot. It is like a comic book aesthetic but showing the key workers pushing on against the spread of the virus. The word to best describe them in the design is fortitude.”
BID Leamington has been supporting Creative Leamington with the project and is sponsoring the floor stickers which will pave the way from the Parade and through the town centre to the mural.
Stephanie Kerr, executive director of BID Leamington, said: “The project is hugely relevant to our town centre business members, many of whom have been hugely impacted by the Covid pandemic, and the challenge of managing our response is still very much at the front of our minds.
“The mural gives a tangible representation and as well as celebrating our local heroes, the personal stories give them a voice and the wider community the opportunity to show their lasting appreciation.”
The project has been provided £1,000 from the Leamington Town Council Community Grant Fund and is now seeking further donations of up to £2,000 which can be made via its website.
Other local key workers are being encouraged to share their stories through the website, and a colouring book is also available to download for people to draw their local heroes depicted in the mural.
Visit www.thefrontlineproject.co.uk to support the project and for more information.
