News-New mural celebrates mining heritage

The new mural in Stanley

Our Youth Council has been working with spray paint artist Lewis Hobson to create a piece of public art for Stanley.

The youth council, which consists of young people aged 11 to 19 who provide a voice for their peers, was inspired by Lewis' work during a visit to Spennymoor Art Festival last year.

Call out for space

They decided they wanted to create a piece of art for a community in the county and put a request out for an outdoor space they could use.

Their call was answered by East Stanley Working Men's Club which agreed for the side of its building to be used for the project.

The youth council enlisted the help of young people from North Durham Academy and took part in a series of workshops led by Lewis, where they gave spray painting a go for themselves and discussed the difference between public art and illegal graffiti.

Stanley Leek Show

During their final workshop, the young people learned more about Stanley's Leek Show, which is hosted at East Stanley Working Men's Club and links back to the town's mining heritage.

The group worked with Lewis to design a piece of art inspired by the show, which was unveiled with a community fun day organised by the youth council.

The youth council hopes it will inspire children and young people to grow something for their junior division, which will be developed for next year's show.

Contribution of young people

Cllr Ted Henderson, our Cabinet member for children and young people's services, said: "I am incredibly proud of our youth council and the dedication and organisation it has shown in putting together this project and delivering it for Stanley.

"This project is a brilliant example of the contribution young people make and how, by bringing residents and organisations together, we can create things that are truly meaningful for the community and the people that live in it."

The youth council is hoping to continue their project and create a new piece of art in a different area of County Durham next year, involving another group of young people.