Tag: mural trail

Work completes on giant mural at Glasgow Royal Infirmary

Latest addition to Glasgow’s Mural Trail shines a light on health inequalities 

A new mural has been officially unveiled at the Princess Royal Maternity Hospital at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, adding to Glasgow’s growing mural trail and raising awareness of health inequalities which exist in Scotland.

The Black mother and baby mural was developed in partnership between NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde  (NHSGGC) and local campaigner, Rachel Dallas. The mural marks NHSGGC’s own commitment to tackling health inequalities in maternal health and baby outcomes in the UK.

The 20 x 30ft design can be seen above the main entrance to the maternity unit on Wishart Street and features the image of a real mother and baby from the local community.

It comes following research which reveals significant racial disparity in maternal care and baby outcomes within Black and ethnic minority groups across the country. A number of partnership groups within NHSGGC are helping to drive forward and further reduce inequalities by promoting diversity in all areas of healthcare, including public health and staff messaging.

Jackie Sands, senior arts and health lead at NHSGGC, said: “Art plays a powerful role in helping raise awareness of major issues in captivating and thought provoking ways.

“The Black mother and baby mural unveiled today will feature in the landscape of Glasgow for years to come, shining a light on, and reminding people of the continued drive to reduce health inequalities – particularly for Black women and babies.

“NHSGGC is delighted to play host to such a mural and to play a part in helping reduce some of those inequalities which do exist.

“A huge thanks to Artisan Artworks for painting the mural and to Rachel Dallas for joint fundraising to make the mural possible.” 

Campaigner, Rachel Dallas, said: “This mural is a tribute to the women behind the statistics on racial disparities in maternal health.

“As a mixed Black woman living in Glasgow, I hope it reminds all who enter the hospital (staff, patients, and visitors) of the right to equality of both health care and health outcomes, as well as providing a beautiful representation of the strength and resilience of motherhood.”
                                               
Frank Carty of Artisan Artworks, added: “I am honoured have been involved in painting this mural which it is hoped will highlight inequality in maternal care for Black mothers.

“The image should also be very welcoming and maternal to all visitors to the maternity Hospital, and I’m hoping it will provide a really positive focus for that part of the hospital.”

Giant Usher Hall artwork joins BLM mural trail

Giant new artwork – Justice for Sheku Bayoh – at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall joins the rapidly expanding Mural Trail as Scotland’s artists and arts organisations combine their voices to support Black Lives Matter

Scotland’s Black Lives Matter Mural Trail is expanding rapidly. The addition this week of 5 new artworks at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall takes the total to 24 (across Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness) with over a dozen more planned in the coming weeks, in Stirling and Dundee, as well as Glasgow and Edinburgh.

The latest additions are by Kirkcaldy artist Abigail Mills aka Abz including an impressive 5.5 meter x 6.5 meter print on the Usher Hall’s Glass Wing, and a further 4 images next to Lothian Road.

Striking, colourful and thought provoking, Abz’s work reflects her regular job as a tattoo artist, but goes far beyond that, reflecting her Scottish/Jamaican heritage and self identifcation as a “queer artist”.

The Glass Wing artwork – Justice for Sheku Bayoh –  is inspired by the death in 2015, in police custody in Kirkcaldy, of Sheku Bayoh (now the subject of a recently announced public enquiry).

Aamer Anwar, lawyer for the Bayoh family, said: “The family of Sheku Bayoh & his partner Collette are deeply grateful to the artist for this mural which encapsulates for them their long struggle for justice & truth.

“It’s time that those who fly the banner of #BlackLivesMatter realised that there are also many George Floyds in the UK and their families need your support”

Abz’s work joins The Neon Requiem’s 3 portraits of female inspirations in his life – The Healer, The Nurturer and the Teacher, on display at the Lyceum Theatre, text contributions by Annie George at The Traverse Theatre, and a further 6 posters featuring words by some of Scotland’s leading BAME musicians including Emili Sande, Young Fathers and Findlay Quaye, making a remarkable cluster of creative activity by BAME artists/writers, at Edinburgh’s “theatre hub”.

“This is hugely significant, and not just for art and culture” – Cllr Donald Wilson, Culture Convenor, City of Edinburgh Council

www.wezi.uk/scottish-bml-mural-trail/

Black Lives Matter mural trail

In response to the recent international outpouring of support for Black Lives Matter following the killing of George Floyd in USA, Scotland’s BAME artists are stepping up, supported by leading arts organisations.

A Scotland wide Black Lives Matter Mural Trail is now popping up, with displays on a dozen arts venues and sites across Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness, with many more to follow.

Art is powerful and at a time when all Scotland’s venues are closed for the foreseeable future, they can still have a voice by offering their walls and doors to be used for this dramatic, vital statement of support for Black Lives Matter.

The artworks – colourful, challenging, moving, powerful and diverse – inspired by the themes of I Can’t Breathe and Black Lives Matter, will be created by artists from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, all living in Scotland.

Several will be supported by additional exhibitions with local relevance. They will be in a variety of media including paint, photography, video and digital art, in a wide range of styles, including fine art, street art, text, illustrative and abstract.

The artists come from a wide range of backgrounds (including Cape Verde, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Papua New Guinea, Pakistan/Harris, USA), some trained, some self taught, combining youth and experience, individuals and artist collectives – all uniquely talented.

All will be large scale and hard to miss!

The trail is the brainchild of Edinburgh based creative producer Wezi Mhura (Iron Oxide, Struileag (Commonwealth Games 2014), AfriFest, Edinburgh International Festival) a specialist in large scale events, who pulled the idea together in just over a week, with the support of venues and arts organisations including Edinburgh International Festival, Dance Base, Queen’s Hall Edinburgh, Eden Court Theatre, Glasgow’s King’s Theatre and Theatre Royal, and many more.

One of the first to go up is at The Hub on Castlehill, which features art based on an original photograph by British born Nigerian photographer Jamal Yussuff-Adelakun, which he created with his daughter Lola (above). There will also be a series of other photos from the same session.

Scotland’s society and attitudes are shaped by its history rooted in slavery, colonialism and imperialism. There are reminders of it in every major city, in statues and buildings which were built by profits from the slave trade.

There is a wide debate opening up about how that should be represented. This Scottish Mural Trail shows a way that art can be at the forefront and stimulating the conversation, while also adding an exciting new dynamic to currently boarded up venues.

Wezi Mhura said: “The Scottish government says it recognizes the strength in its aspirations to a more equal and more diverse society going forward, and we hope this Mural Trail will help to start the conversations that need to be happening now.

“It’s been amazing to connect in with so many talented artists (with roots in so many different places) who have been so enthusiastic about getting behind this project”.

Jamal Yussuff-Adelakun said: “My daughter and I have bonded and created before when it comes to photography, but never before have we both used the medium of photography to talk about race injustice or racism.

“For me this was a new found way to have that conversation with her.”

Capital sites to follow include Queen’s Hall, DanceBase, Royal Lyceum Theatre, Festival Theatre and Meadowbank stadium.