Stalyhill Junior School embarked on a mission to transform a neglected playground wall into a vibrant mural, instilling a sense of pride and ownership among its students. The client’s brief emphasized the importance of artist interaction with the children and their involvement in the design process. The result was a participatory mural spanning 38 meters by 1.7 meters, involving 280 children.

Process and Execution

Initial Brief and Assembly

Understanding the client’s desire for direct artist-child interaction, I initiated the project with a school assembly. This assembly showcased previous mural works and introduced the concept, generating excitement and engagement among the students.

Collage Workshop

Following the assembly, I conducted a collage workshop with one of the eight classes. Each class was assigned a word from an eight-word phrase that would form the mural’s core message. The workshop involved cutting, gluing, and creating patterns, allowing students to express their creativity. The outcomes were innovative and enjoyed by all participants.

Design Mockup

From the collage elements, I selected the most inspiring pieces and created a design mockup using Photoshop. This mockup was presented for approval before proceeding to the next stage.

Mural Execution

After approval, the design was sketched on the playground wall. Five students from each class, chosen for their interest in art, assisted with painting different elements. Equipped with mini rollers, they contributed to filling out the design. The entire painting process spanned four days, with children participating actively during two afternoons.

Outcome

The mural was completed successfully within the designated timeframe. The collaborative effort resulted in a visually stunning and vibrant mural that transformed the playground. The project not only beautified the school environment but also created a sense of achievement and pride among the students and staff.

“Oskar has been an absolute delight to work with. He has supported us thoroughly throughout the mural process, from initial idea through to completion, and has made the whole experience a joy for staff and children. Oskar's planning was perfect, he planned all elements of the project so that all of our children were able to have as much involvement as possible, and he presented the design stage in an easy to follow, step by step way, that all the teachers were able to follow and get on board with.

Oskar's communication has been excellent throughout, he delivered a whole school assembly to talk to the children about the project and he kept in touch with us via email, checking we were happy with every step of the process. As expected, the children absolutely loved him and he was brilliant with them. Whilst in school, Oskar has been personable and friendly to everyone, created absolutely no mess and finished the project promptly. He really has been so easy to work with.

As for the finished mural itself, we couldn't be happier. It has done exactly what we wanted it to; created a buzz around school, excited the children and brightened up our outdoor environment considerably. It is exactly what we wanted and we couldn't be more delighted. We would highly, highly recommend Oskar for your large-scale art projects, particularly if you are a school or community group. He is insanely talented and a genuinely lovely guy.”

Lisa, Head of Stalyhill Junior School