Haycroft Underpass, West Marsh
A Safer Streets 2 funded project to create a community urban art work through Haycroft underpass in West Marsh
At the start of 2022, Capacity Buildings was awarded a grant from the Safer Streets West Marsh Wallet fund. The grant was to allow us to commission an artist to repaint the tired and unattractive Haycroft underpass in the West Marsh of Grimsby.
This was one small part of the Safer Streets 2 project being delivered between 2021 and 2022 in the West Marsh of Grimsby. As part of that project it was clear the the Haycroft underpass was a place of concern for local residents who wanted to use it. It was unattractive and felt unsafe to use.
As part of the Safer Streets project, undergrowth around the underpass was cut back to improve visibility and light, and a new CCTV camera was installed. Capacity Buildings asked for funding to allow all of the walls of the underpass to be repainted with urban artwork.
The Safer Streets programme ended March 2022 and the final painting of the underpass was completed May 2022. This page gives more details about this project.
Underpass Now
A selection of photos showing the underpass once painted. (Latest May 2022). Of course, the best way to see it is to visit it yourself.
The underpass before
The underpass was overgrown, unloved and covered with (non-artistic) graffiti. Whilst residents wanted or needed to use the path for their journeys, it was not a preferred choice for many. Images taken 2021.
Meet the characters
Some of the detail of the various characters painted onto the underpass walls. Go meet them yourself!
Images copyright Lynsey Powles.
A Community Project
This project is for the people and community of West Marsh. This is their underpass, their community, and this is their artwork to be proud of.
Lynsey has been engaging the community and local residents throughout. Young people have especially been invited to have their say, to participate in community events and to even have a go at painting some parts of the underpass themselves (under Lynsey’s watchful eye).
Residents were consulted about what they wanted to see as part of the artwork. The two consistent components mentioned were ‘community’ and ‘environment – Duke of York gardens, the river’. We think Lynsey has done a great job of weaving these themes into her artwork.
Of course the project was funded through the Safer Streets programme too, so you can also see the odd security and safety message included in the design too (spot the painted CCTV camera anyone?)
The Artist
Lysney Powles is an Urban Artist who lives in the East Marsh of Grimsby and is familiar with the West Marsh too.
Lynsey works from her studio on Freeman Street and takes commissions big and small all over. Lysney told us that the Haycroft underpass was probably one of the largest wall canvases she’s tackled!
Lysney has also spent a lot of time meeting the public as she’s worked on the underpass and very much helped to make this a ‘community’ artwork.
Lynsey also organises an Urban Arts Festival each year in Cleethorpes – worth a visit. Find out more here.
Find out much more about Lynsey and her artwork through her Facebook page: www.facebook.com/lynsart
The important stuff
As well as being a piece of artwork to be appreciated by the community, there was a serious message behind the commission.
The fact that a public underpass should feel like a ‘no go’ area for more vulnerable people was not good. We hope that this new look tunnel will change attitudes in the area and help put users minds more at ease.
But the commission was part of the wide aims of the Safer Streets programme to help residents tackle crime. So you’ll see the Safer Streets name proudly displayed; a CCTV camera or two as part of the artwork; and a number of ‘posters’ in the art that share important messages. We were particularly keen to share the Violence Against Women and Girls message with the community, and you can read more about this campaign itself here.
Gallery
An ever changing selection of images from the underpass…
LATEST NEWS
- A final, special edition newsletter was produced for the Safer Streets West Marsh project, and this featured the underpass project in the centre-spread. View the .pdf here.
- The underpass project featured in the Grimsby Telegraph on 15th May 2022. Read their article including photos and video here https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/news/grimsby-news/grimsby-subway-graffiti-being-covered-7076022
- The Safer Streets 2 programme has now ended. The Haycroft underpass artwork features in the end-of-project video. Watch it on Youtube here.
The Haycroft Underpass artwork features in the end-of-project video produced for the Safer Streets 2 programme (April 2022).
Watch the video on the VANEL TV Youtube channel here.
Thank you
to Safer Streets 2 (West Marsh) for the funding for this project.
Safer Streets funding is from the Home Office via the Office of the Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner.
Project duration: Feb – May 2022
