Memories are our most treasured possessions; our own personal tapestries, filled with bygone moments, times held dear and extraordinary tales. Unfortunately, they rarely see the light of day, preserved in our minds and rarely shared for the fear of being viewed as silly or boring. Memoirs through Murals aims to change that. Working with local schools, children will be encouraged to capture stories about the history of their town in both writing and drawing from their older counterparts; whether it’s a beloved granddad, the lady next door or the lollipop man, enabling all involved to learn, grow and understand Collier Row in a new way. Using these local stories as inspiration we will work with a selection of local and national street artists to create bespoke murals alongside a complimentary booklet and art trail, celebrating the history and stories of Collier Row through the eyes of our residents.

What we'll deliver:

• We will engage 5 local schools and over 300 school children to uncover the stories and history of Collier Row
• Work with 9 local businesses and landlords to install selected artworks on their buildings
• Work with street artists and the community to produce multiple large scale street art murals
• We will animate over 2000sq ft of dead space in Collier Row
• Produce and distribute 10,000 story books through the town containing all of the stories and memories collected.
• Produce a film showcasing the process of the project including installation, storytelling and launch
• Host a launch party to celebrate our community and their stories
• Create a website showcasing the murals and the story of 'Memoirs through Murals'

Why it's a great idea:

In 2015 we started our mission, producing 12 street art murals that now proudly brighten up Romford town centre. An overwhelming response from our community fuelled us to take this even further and extend the canvas into Collier Row. ‘Memoirs through Murals’ is driven by the memories of local people and the history of Collier Row. It will engage the local community in arts and culture and enable our residents to share their memories through intergenerational story telling; fostering a new sense of pride and understanding in the younger generations, whilst also tackling loneliness in the elderly community. Murals will change the perception of Collier Row for both residents and visitors; driving footfall and dwell time within the area, encouraging economic growth, whilst creating an innovative way finding system unique to the town. ‘Memoirs through Murals’ aims to capture the changing face of the town; celebrating our past whilst helping us to build a bright future, together.

Steps to get it done:

• Work with landlords to obtain all required sign off - Already in process
• Obtain letters of support from schools - Already in process
• Prepare all educational materials - September 2019
• Launch school education programme - October 2019
• Judge school submissions, selecting winning stories - December 2019
• Commission artists - December 2019 - end of January 2020
• Artists to prepare designs of stories - February 2020
• Final sign off of artist designs - March 2020
• Install murals - May 2020
• Design and print art trail book - May - June 20
• Distribution of art trail books - June 2020
• Deliver launch party - June 2020