The Mayor of Shrewsbury, Councillor Alex Wagner, has praised the outstanding efforts of students at Meole Brace School who have helped shape the vision for a new public art mural in the town.
More than 400 pupils completed a creative ideas survey, capturing their thoughts on the themes, colours, and stories that could inspire the mural’s final design. Their contributions have played a crucial role in defining the early vision for the project, which is being led by Big Art Regeneration and Transformation (The BART) and funded initially through grant funding aimed at improving public spaces and safety with enhanced lighting, followed by a full fundraising campaign set for 2026.
The project is a partnership between The BART, Shrewsbury Colleges Group, and the Shrewsbury Big Town Plan, and seeks to transform an untidy, uninviting area of the town into a bright and welcoming landmark. As part of the initiative, art students from Shrewsbury College are working alongside professional mural artist Russ Meehan to help bring the ideas to life and develop their skills through hands-on experience of creating large-scale community art.
During a special school assembly, Councillor Wagner presented Amazon vouchers to four students selected by random draw from entries that met the criteria of links to Shropshire – and not being Charles Darwin, and he thanked all participants for their enthusiasm and creativity in contributing to the survey.
“It is with real civic pride that I acknowledge the tremendous contribution made by the pupils of Meole Brace School,” said Councillor Alex Wagner, Mayor of Shrewsbury. “Their ideas will help to brighten our town and breathe new life into a space that many people pass through every day. This is community pride in action, and it’s wonderful to see so many young people shaping Shrewsbury’s future.”
John Taylor, Head of Geography at Meole Brace School included the survey as an extracurricular activity for the students to complete. He added:
“We are absolutely delighted that so many of our students wanted to have their say and contribute ideas for what this space could become. Their imagination and community spirit show how proud they are of Shrewsbury, and it’s fantastic to see young people helping to shape the town’s future.”
The mural initiative is part of a wider regeneration effort to improve the appearance, safety and sense of pride in public spaces across Shrewsbury. The project team are now exploring the themes presented through over 700 survey submissions to develop the creative plan for the mural, with installation scheduled for 2026.