Manchester-based artist Dave Draws has been working with four local Primary Schools to gather inspiration for a new futuristic map of Altrincham town centre.
Year five pupils at Altrincham C of E Primary School, St Vincent’s Catholic Primary School, Stamford Park Primary School and Navigation Road Primary School took part in an art workshop with doodle expert Dave Draws last week, where they were encouraged to get creative, draw and share their hopes for the future of Altrincham.
The workshops were part of Trafford Council’s #BrightFutures project, an exciting new community arts initiative for Altrincham’s Grafton Quarter. The children’s drawings and ideas will be incorporated into a new piece of artwork by Dave Draws, which will appear in the town centre this summer.
Dave Draws lives in Manchester but he has travelled the world creating large-scale murals in Hong Kong, the US and across Europe. He is famous for his doodle maps that include cartoonish illustrations to create a map of towns and cities.
Trafford Council has previously announced that it is continuing its huge investment in Altrincham town centre with several public realm improvements to enhance the look and feel of the town centre, to benefit residents, businesses and attract more visitors.
Works are being completed along George Street, including ground resurfacing, green
infrastructure, and increased seating areas.
#BrightFutures will further enliven the space around the old Grafton Centre with newly commissioned, large-scale pieces of public art. Dave Draws’ futuristic map will be installed on George Street and there will also be two further colourful installations by artist Caroline Dowsett next month.
Dave said: “All the children have been brilliant to work with, their creativity and energy has really inspired me. I will be channelling their ideas and hopes into my artwork later this month.
“I have drawn many maps of towns and cities over the years, but this project has brought a unique twist to my usual process, and I have really enjoyed it! I hope that the children enjoyed the workshops as much as I did, and I can’t wait for them to be able to show friends and family the finished map.”
Cllr Liz Patel, Trafford Council’s Executive Member for Economy and Regeneration, said: “The BrightFutures project is all about looking ahead and getting excited about Altrincham’s future. What better way to do that than to ask the next generation what they would like to see in their town?
“Dave is a very talented artist and I’m delighted that local children have had the chance to work with him to inspire a brand-new piece of art for local people to enjoy over the next couple of years. Along with Caroline’s work, we hope that the map will create a fun and thought provoking talking point for residents, businesses and visitors to the Grafton Quarter.”
The #BrightFutures project is also supported by Altrincham BID and Visit Altrincham. Mandy White, BID Manager said: “It has been a pleasure to support this project and we are very excited to see the finished artwork. The public realm improvements on George Street and the work on the Grafton’s Centre will really breathe new life into this part of the town and we are delighted that Altrincham is continuing to benefit from so much public and private sector investment.””
For more information about BrightFutures visit: www.thegraftonquarter.co.uk
Follow: @visitaltrincham