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A brand new mural has been unveiled in Westwood which brightens up a neglected underpass. The project has been a partnership between Cross Keys Homes (CKH), Big Local, Peterborough Presents and WestRaven Community Garden.

Katie was selected from proposals put forward by over 15 artists by a panel of five local residents. Throughout the spring and summer Katie spent time in Westwood running creative workshops with residents and groups to inspire the final design, joining coffee mornings, school groups, the WestRaven community garden, and the local Jubilee celebrations.

Katie’s ambitious design reflects the neighbourhood’s people and stories, and celebrates the strong community spirit that is so strong in the area. The Westwood Whistle, WestRaven café and garden, nature and local people all feature in the bright, bold, and beautiful artwork. The patterns in the background were also inspired by Year 6 pupils at Highlees school, and the base layer was painted with the help of a team of volunteers from CKH.

Over 100 people attended the recent unveiling of the mural and had a go at spray painting, craft activities and created art out of healthy food with local community food organisation Flourish.

Claire Higgins, Chief Executive of CKH, said: “We were delighted to support this project which has led to the creation of this fantastic mural. The people of Westwood have shown great community spirit in coming together to support each other throughout the pandemic and beyond, so it’s great to be able to give something meaningful back to them by brightening this area. This artwork is hugely symbolic of the great vibe this community has, as shown by the fantastic volunteering ethos of the WestRaven Community café and garden, which CKH is proud to be a part of.”

Sarah Haythornthwaite, Peterborough Presents Programme Director, said “The mural is our first project for Peterborough Presents in the area. We will be working in Westwood over two to three years, delivering creative projects with local residents led entirely by their ideas. In other areas of the city, this approach has led to festivals, murals, carnivals, cabarets, craft clubs, new theatre performances and film projects. Working on this project with Cross Keys Homes has been a brilliant start to our work in the neighbourhood. We’ve had great fun meeting people and chatting through possible new ideas. They have created something really beautiful with Katie.”

Charley Genever, Community Producer at Peterborough Presents, added: “I feel like this project was a great way to get to know residents and at the same time create something beautiful. Katie was chosen because of the quality of her work, and she certainly delivered! We’ve had so many lovely comments about the mural from people, and the support from the local community has been amazing. I’m really looking forward to whatever our next project in the area brings.”