Community celebrations marked the finale of an ambitious project to create a wall of colour in Bridgwater.
St John Street/Broadway Brick Project has transformed a bare facade at the junction of the two streets into a giant painted patchwork, created by community groups and individuals.
The original goal of painting some 1,800 bricks was exceeded with 2,300 now decked out in bright colours thanks to the involvement of a wide range of people of all ages – from pre-schoolers to pensioners.
The reaction has been positive with parents saying how proud they are to see their children’s artwork on public display while memorial bricks provide a lasting reminder of past generations.
The project is funded through the Bridgwater Town Deal that is bringing £23.2million of government investment to the town through 11 local projects, helping to revitalise the social, cultural and economic offerings in the town centre.
The mural was co-ordinated by the Brick Project Community Interest Company (CIC) who worked to gather ideas and inspiration from local people and community groups before the community painting started in July. Town Wardens helped with the community consultation.
The project ended with a celebration on Sunday (3 August) at the Mingle Café with a showcase of local talent including a variety of musicians, singer songwriters and poets.
Councillor Brian Smedley, Leader of Bridgwater Town Council, said:
This project is a brilliant example of what happens when you give people the tools to be creative and take pride in their town. It started as a simple idea—paint a few bricks—and ended up as a bold, beautiful statement from the whole community.
The wall now tells stories of Bridgwater past, present and future, and every brick is a piece of our shared identity. It shows what we can achieve when we work together.
Councillor Mike Rigby, Somerset Council’s Lead Member for Economic Development Planning and Assets said:
Funding from the Town Deal is helping us to unlock Bridgwater’s creativity and culture and it’s great to see bare bricks turned into a tapestry everyone can be proud of.
All involved would like to thank the Co-Op for use of the wall, Mingle Café and Bridgy Gallery as well as everyone who gave up their time and shared their enthusiasm.
