Mayor praises Meole Brace School students for helping shape new Shrewsbury tunnel mural

On Wednesday 22 October, the Mayor of Shrewsbury, Councillor Alex Wagner,

visited Meole Brace School to praise the outstanding efforts of students 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.