Art UK has catalogued more than 6,600 murals across the UK, from medieval church paintings to modern street art, in a major digitisation project launched in January 2024. The charity aimed to find 5,000 murals but exceeded that target, reflecting a surge in public art.
Murals range from tiny artworks on bollards in Shrewsbury to a 16-storey block of flats in Gosport. Notable examples include a mural in Cardiff replicating Liam Gallagher's X post declaring 'Because Cardiff is the bollox', and Alan Bennett riding a bike on BBC Radio Leeds.
Katey Goodwin, deputy chief executive of Art UK, said the explosion in murals is due to councils and regeneration bodies commissioning them to revitalise town centres post-Covid, alongside more street art festivals. Murals have become mainstream and are cheaper and quicker to produce than statues.
The project identified themes: 19% are commemorative, 23% feature wildlife, and 11% reflect heritage and industry. Others address climate crisis or women's safety, while some simply aim to 'make you smile', like Lola the Barras Pirate in Glasgow.
Volunteers helped find and photograph the murals, but graffiti and tagging were excluded due to scale and fleeting nature. Goodwin noted that murals can be painted over or demolished, so the online collection is not exhaustive.
Street artist Scotty Irving welcomed the project, saying street art 'connects people to true stories' and can inspire live learning opportunities for children.
