New mural celebrating Oxford Road communities joins heritage project line-up
- Third community pilot project artwork has been installed in the Oxford Road HSHAZ Area
- Mural by local artist Gemma Anusa informed by community engagement research and celebrates the road's rich diversity
NEW street art celebrating the diverse and rich culture of the Oxford Road will join the line-up of works celebrating Reading’s local heritage this month.
Reading’s High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) commissioned local artist, Gemma Anusa, as part of the ongoing pilot project ‘Reimagining the High Street Through Your Stories’, funded by Historic England.
Gemma has produced a large-scale painting of a face, created using a gradient of skin tones. Named ‘Through Your Eyes’, the viewer will find embedded in the face resident quotes, important dates and times and significant moments in the history of the Oxford Road and its communities.
During community engagement research, residents expressed that they would like to see unsightly areas such as hoardings brightened up and to see modern artwork that reflected and celebrated the Oxford Road area positively.
Gemma’s mural will join a wider community art pilot that involves 3 other local artists, Caroline Streatfield, Baker Street Productions, and Arron Lowe’s projects which have been launched in recent months in celebration of the Oxford Road and the rich and diverse heritage of the area.
Cllr Karen Rowland, Reading’s Lead for Culture, Heritage and Recreation, said:
“I am delighted that the vibrant history and rich diversity of the Oxford Road has been commemorated in Gemma’s mural and in the work of our other local artists.
“Gemma’s ‘Through Your Eyes’ mural will celebrate this rich diversity, using people, names, places, dates and times embedded in a half portrait of a face that will, in turn, symbolise the face of the Oxford Road.
“Each of our initial pilot artists has reflected beautifully Reading’s bid for City Status this year, highlighting Reading as one of the most multi-cultural towns in the south-east outside of London through portraying our diverse cultural pedigree and our vast array of cultural talent!
“Each of the artists involved in this project has brought a unique and creative concept to the table and the variety they have offered have all complimented each other well.
“This project has always been about co-creation and getting local residents involved to celebrate the local heritage of the area and the multi-cultural history of the road. The Oxford Road area is all about its wide variety of shops, the residents of the area and the life the corridor brings to the wider area. Therefore, I was pleased that we had a very community-focused panel of partners, including Oxford Road residents, come together for the artist selection process and to feedback as the projects have progressed.
“As an Oxford Road area resident myself, I am truly excited by how this explosion of artwork has enriched the area. I have always been captivated by the rich tapestry and diversity of the Oxford Road and through the expressions of these artists I hope more people will come to appreciate it as I have and discover its uniquely diverse heritage and flavour.”
Artist Gemma Anusa said:
“This project holds a lot of importance to me. I live on the Oxford Road - it’s my environment. I really do believe it is misunderstood in many ways, and I believe that art is the perfect way to bring us all together especially during these times.
“My idea creates a stamp on the historical moments of the Oxford Road and the untold stories from people within the local communities. It will be a celebration of co-creation within the local community, from getting to know local shop and businesses owners, to talking with long term residents of the road and implementing the knowledge that we already know.
“The design is simple, yet complex, and the message is clear. A highly detailed half portrait where you can get lost in untold stories past and present. A monument for heritage and representation of history and collaboration.
“Each story will be recorded, allowing them to feel represented and heard in such a diverse and multicultural area, which is so important.”
Gemma’s mural will feature on the railings on the Oxford Road side of Battle Street Car Park.
ENDS
Notes to editors
About Gemma Anusa
Gemma founded Anusa Creatives in August 2020. Inspiration stems from her soul, experiences and surroundings. She finds working with vibrant colours on bold statement pieces empowering and is excited to work within the community to help people feel represented through her creativity.
About the pilot project
In advance of the wider High Street Heritage Action Zone Cultural Programme, Historic England offered several Pilot Grants to initiate and test projects to engage communities. Reading was successful in achieving a grant of £9,231 in September 2020 to run the pilot project for the HSHAZ: ‘Re-imagining the high street through your stories’ based in Reading’s Oxford Road HSHAZ.
The aim of this project was to engage with the Oxford Road communities to explore people’s real stories of Oxford Road and to link them with their local heritage and rich multicultural history through a series of resulting art projects.
3 local artists were commissioned to create exciting new art responses to the Oxford Road Stories research project, which is now available to view on the Reading Museum's website as an online exhibition. Commissioned artists were asked to create proposals for art projects that would celebrate the history, heritage and vibrancy of culture of Reading's Oxford Road, and were selected by a local community panel.
The projects launched so far are:
‘Recipes From My Ancestral Home’ by Caroline Streatfield
In her new project, local artist Caroline Streatfield encourages you to shop local and explore the vast array of food shops along Reading's Oxford Road where you can purchase ingredients to cook fantastic dishes from around the world.
Through her project Caroline has produced a set of 17 recipe cards showcasing family recipes which can all be cooked using local ingredients from the Oxford Road, these recipe cards include stories and memories from the contributors as well as illustrations created by local school children and artists.
Pictures: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmVLc35A
Video: https://youtu.be/t3wXbqQhTv4
‘Look, Hear – Discover Oxford Road’ by Baker Street Productions
Have you ever stopped to think about the history and heritage of the streets you walk? Have you ever considered you may one day be a part of that history?
Baker Street Productions have created an audio tour using 12 QR codes, dotted along the Oxford Road HSHAZ, that allow you to access a different audio story each. Listen to them on site, on the move or save them for a cup of tea and a listen at home! Discover the street's past, learn about its present and be intrigued about its future.
We often forget that history is always in the making. Every detail holds its own importance, every person and community their own intriguing tale and anything – anything could last forever.
Pictures: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmWapxGH
Video: https://youtu.be/IcYpX7q7_qs
‘Welcome to Oxford Road’ by Arron Lowe
Local graffiti artist Arron Lowe (AZUCIT), was commissioned to create ‘Welcome to Oxford Road’ mural on a large hoarding alongside Bedford Road. Arron came up with a design that was discussed with a community and partner panel.
Arron was able to take this feedback from the panel to create the final design that you see now on the hoarding. From the community session we wanted to make key buildings prominent in the piece and then create a vibrant fusion between elements which reflected the history of the area and elements that celebrated the present day. While Arron was creating the piece, he also took on comments and feedbacks from locals as they were passing by.
Pictures: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmWvgSaW
Video: https://youtu.be/SIul6hd4gbs
About High Streets Heritage Action Zones
The High Streets Heritage Action Zones is a £95 million government-funded programme led by Historic England, designed to secure lasting improvements and help breathe new life into our historic high streets for the communities and businesses that use them. Historic England is working with local people and partners to unlock the rich heritage on these high streets, through repair and improvement works as well as arts and cultural programmes, making them more attractive to residents, businesses, tourists and investors.
About Historic England
We are Historic England the public body that helps people care for, enjoy and celebrate England’s spectacular historic environment, from beaches and battlefields to parks and pie shops. We protect, champion and save the places that define who we are and where we’ve come from as a nation.
We care passionately about the stories these places tell, the ideas they represent and the people who live, work and play among them. Working with communities and specialists we share our passion, knowledge and skills to inspire interest, care and conservation, so everyone can keep enjoying and looking after the history that surrounds us all.