Pupils at Park View Primary School in Cambuslang are enjoying a fantastic new mural thanks to Healthy ‘n’ Happy Community Development Trust.
Artist Tragic O’Hara was brought in to work with pupils from the school to create two vibrant pieces of art – one in their playground and another at North Halfway Hall.
The talented youngsters were at the heart of the creative process, taking part in a series of workshops to co-design the murals and bring their ideas to life.
The school’s mural was formally unveiled by Rutherglen MSP Clare Haughey and Tracey McDermott, head of education at South Lanarkshire Council, who jointly cut the ceremonial red ribbon.
Skills and Pride
Michael Law, acting principal teacher at Park View Primary, said: “The sheer volume of skills the children developed throughout this process has been remarkable. It required immense physical control and technical precision to master a completely new medium.
“Working collaboratively on such a massive, permanent canvas meant the pupils had to use high-level communication, negotiation and teamwork skills to ensure their individual designs blended effectively.
“When the children talk about the project, they do so with a huge sense of pride. They have learned that with the right skills, discipline and creative desire, they have the power to completely transform their environment, making their neighbourhood look genuinely beautiful and special.
“Long into the future, they will be able to walk past this wall, look back fondly on their artwork, and know they made a lasting, positive contribution to their community.
“There is absolutely no doubt that this has been one of the best community projects we have ever run.”
Inspiration for the Future
The youngsters are now inspired to help brighten up the area after learning their new skills.
Mia McFarlane, a P7 pupil at Park View, said: “When Mr Law told us we were getting real cans of spray paint to paint the actual school building, I couldn’t believe it.
“At first, it was quite tricky because you have to hold your hand steady to get a clean line – and it was quite sore on your finger pressing the nozzle down.
“But once I got the hang of it, it was so much fun. Doing this has really inspired me to want to create even more bits of artwork around Halfway. There is quite a lot of ugly graffiti around here, but it doesn’t need to be that way.
“If we use our skills to make more colourful art, we could make lots of our community much nicer places to look at and live in.”
Community Collaboration
Rutherglen-based Healthy ‘n’ Happy were delighted to receive funding from the Youth Arts Open Fund – a Creative Scotland fund administered by YouthLink Scotland and funded by The Scottish Government. This funding enabled Healthy ‘n’ Happy to work with Tragic on the project.
From initial planning and drawing, to painting and experimenting with spray paint techniques, the project provided an exciting opportunity for the young people to develop new skills under the expert guidance of the artist.
The official launch event was attended by local councillors, education representatives, Healthy ‘n’ Happy staff and pupils’ families.
Mark Soanes, executive director at Healthy ‘n’ Happy, said: “Thanks to funding from the Youth Arts Open Fund, this project was designed to connect young people – particularly those who may not otherwise have access to arts opportunities – with a professional artist, helping to build confidence, creativity and pride in their local community.
“We would like to congratulate the pupils of Park View Primary School for their hard work, creativity and commitment throughout the project, and to thank Tragic O’Hara for his artistic leadership and support.
“They should all be incredibly proud of what they have achieved and of the fantastic, vibrant mural they have created.”
Healthy ‘n’ Happy’s aim is “to work with local residents, groups and organisations to make Cambuslang and Rutherglen the healthiest and happiest places to live in Scotland.”
Design development is underway for the second mural at Halfway Hall.
