Art trail launched in Regent's Park Estate

Jess Warren
BBC News
Nick Turpin A black and white art installation on the side of a brick block of flats. Nick Turpin
The works were created by 10 artists and collectives

A public art trail has been created at a north London housing estate to celebrate its "creativity, culture and community".

Twelve site-specific art installations have been placed throughout the Regent's Park Estate, each designed to explore the area's culture, ecology and heritage.

The Camden estate is home to a large social housing community of more than 12,000 people and has seen changes including the loss of green spaces during the development of HS2.

Resident Bahja Mohammed said the project was "spreading joy and happiness into the community".

Nick Turpin A woman walks past a ceramic bookshelf attached to a wall.Nick Turpin
A ceramic bookshelf by Clayground Collective commemorates a library

The final artworks along the trail were informed by more than 1,600 residents.

Daniel Pitt, chief executive of Old Diorama Arts Centre, which produced the trail, said: "Each of the commissions offer a radical vision of what public art can do."

Nick Turpin A nature-themed mural spanning multiple walls. It features a range of birds, a fox, a cat, a squirrel and flowers. Nick Turpin
Growing Together by Shiraaz Ali is inspired by real locals, both animal and human

Locations include Everton Mews, the gateway into the estate which has experienced anti-social behaviour; Munster Square, an area which used to have an LGBTQ+ bar beneath St Mary Magdalene Church; and areas with links to the poet Charlotte Mew, painter Robert Polhill Bevan and suffragette Mary Neal.

Nick Turpin Two children interact with a bright piece of art.Nick Turpin
Wonderscope by Alisa Ruzavina explores local folklore

"The Story Trail is a fantastic example of what we can achieve when we empower our communities to shape where they live," said Adam Harrison, deputy leader of Camden Council.

"It has tapped into the wealth of creativity, imagination and pride on the Regent's Park Estate, and rightly celebrates the estate as a place where creativity, culture and community continue to thrive."

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