Community input sought for The Stornoway Story mural trail

​A community engagement project is underway to establish what islanders want to see featured in a new community-led mural trail celebrating the heritage, culture and identity of Stornoway.
The Stornoway Story mural trail is being developed by artist Chris Rutterford, who created the Tesco mural in the town, and local views are being sought to help shape what comes next.
A public engagement event was held in Stornoway library last Friday (15 May) from 2pm to 5pm, with a second one being held this coming Friday.
People can also have an input to the project by taking part in a public survey, being run alongside the engagement events. The survey, via Google docs, can be accessed from the Western Isles Lifestyle Lottery’s Facebook page.
 
Meanwhile, art students at the Nicolson Institute are also now working on the project.
Up to 120 of them are taking part in a ‘mural factory’ over two weeks which will see their work feature in what will be the third phase of the project – contributing to the design of the murals for the front facings of the Stornoway Smokehouse, continuing the ‘sea’ theme.
The Sea Angling building and the low-level connecting walls will also be transformed as part of this phase of the mural trail. It is hoped it will be installed in August or September this year.
Phase one was the restoration of the Ian Brady works while phase two was the installation of the Tesco mural.

The Stornoway Story is being led by the Western Isles Community Society and supported by the Western Isles Lifestyle Lottery.

The group are keen to hear how people feel about Stornoway, what role art and creativity could play in the town, and what they would love to see in the future.

The mural trail aims to celebrate the stories, people and character of Stornoway while creating welcoming and vibrant shared spaces across the town.
Artis Chris is well known for previous award-winning heritage mural projects including the Colinton and Alloway Tunnels, which have become major community and visitor destinations. One of his hallmarks is incorporating the faces of real local people into his artworks.

Initial sketches have been done of possible mural options for the sides of some of the buildings on Shell Street, as a start, and they were shared with participants at the engagement events.
The events are giving people the opportunity to view early ideas and plans for the murals; share thoughts on art and public spaces in Stornoway; and suggest stories, themes and identities that should be reflected in the project.

Janet Paterson of the Western Isles Lottery said: “This is about creating something rooted in community and place. We want to hear how people feel about Stornoway now, what stories matter to them, and how art and creativity can help shape spaces we can all feel proud of.”
Ralph Tonge, a Community Society board member taking part in Friday’s engagement event, said it was a “great” event, with a “variety of people” coming in and some great ideas shared.

Follow the Western Isles Lifestyle Lottery Facebook page for developments.

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