A project which helps bring a Liverpool community together, is set to bloom again.
The Flower Streets project is a celebration of Kirkdale and its residents, and has already resulted in nine, large-scale murals on the gable end of houses – each one representing the namesake flowers of each street.
The artworks are a celebration of the community and aim to rejuvenate the area, as well as addressing the issue of anti-social behaviour.
And now two more incredible pieces of work are to be added to the collection.
From today (27 August), acclaimed visual artist Madeleine Pires – who has been responsible for all the work to date – will return to Kirkdale to add additional murals on Harebell and Snowdrop Streets. These new additions to the collection should be finished by the end of September.
Before the creation of the murals, residents and school groups were invited to be part of an engagement programme which included free workshops encouraging storytelling, writing, drawing, painting, and an appreciation of ecology. With everyone encouraged to share their experiences and stories, it fostered a sense of unity and collaboration.
After the first nine were completed, a community celebration event took place to highlight the strengthened community bonds and renewed pride in the area.
The streets which already have an artwork in their honour are Crocus, Daisy, Harebell, Pansy, Snowdrop and Woodbine and it took around seven months to complete the work at the initial nine locations.
To document the project and its impact, a short film has been produced, showcasing the journey and stories behind the murals which can be found on dot-art’s website.
The Flower Streets project has been curated by Liverpool City Council’s Culture Liverpool team, who commissioned local arts organisation dot-art to deliver the project. It forms part of the Safer Streets Initiative and the Creative Neighbourhoods programme and has also been supported by Dowhigh, Huyton Asphalt and Culture UKSPF.
The School of Psychology at Liverpool Hope University will be using the Flower Streets Projects as a case study. They will be researching the impact of greening this urban area. Throughout 2024/2025 the research collected will demonstrate how this has affected the mental health and wellbeing of local people.
Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Health and Wellbeing, Councillor Harry Doyle, said:
“This has been an ambitious project, but the response to the stunning series of murals has been incredible, and local residents have really taken the work to their hearts – and after spending so much time there, I believe Madeleine has now become an honorary member of the community!
“It’s initiatives like this which really showcase the power or art and creativity – the vibrant artworks are now a permanent symbol or resilience and the positive change that can happen when people come together with the same, positive goal.
“Everyone involved should feel incredibly proud of what has been achieved, and I can’t wait to see the next two transformations take place over the coming weeks.”
Artist, Madeliene Pires, said:
“Art is made to be seen and it’s for everybody. There’s a lot to be said for people coming together and these murals are an extension of that. It has been a joy to work on so far and I can’t wait to get started on the next two!”
Managing Director of dot-art, Lucy Byrne, said:
“It’s been such an honour to be involved in this project. We were tasked with finding an artist who would do justice to this tight-knit community and bring something really beautiful to their lives, and we knew Madeleine would be perfect.
“She spent six months really getting to know the community and has made genuine friends and this experience will have a tangible legacy which is just priceless.”
Flower Street resident Nora, said:
“I’ve lived on this street for 50 years and I think this is wonderful – it feels as though they’re recognising we are here.”
