Tamworth bus shelter’s wild new look is revealed

A Tamworth bus shelter has been given a wild makeover as part of this year’s Arts in Unusual Spaces programme and in partnership with the Tamworth in Bloom campaign.
Local artist Simon Wingfield has transformed the bus shelter on Peelers Way, Kettlebrook, with striking images of a kingfisher, a great spotted woodpecker and a barn owl – all birds which can be seen at the adjacent Tameside Local Nature Reserve.

Simon could be seen in action throughout the day on Sunday, July 16, when the new look shelter took shape. As the bus stop is on the route the Heart of England in Bloom judges took through the town on Tuesday, July 18, it was chosen as the first to be given an artistic makeover to launch a major new project coming to the town this autumn.
‘Catch Art’, part of the two-year Arts in Unusual Spaces initiative, will bring art to a number of bus shelters across the borough. The project is being led by Vic Brown, of Art Recruitment Tamworth, who also organises the popular Urban Arts Festival which takes place every year at the Castle Grounds’ skate park.

Vic will now spend the next few months working with local artists and school children to come up with designs for at least a further five bus shelters in areas including Amington, Glascote Heath, Stonydelph and Coton Green.

Some will be designed by professional artists, such as Simon Wingfield, who painted the local landmarks depicted on underpasses at Riverdrive, and some will be designed by the town’s youngsters.
Catch Art is just one of a number of fantastic projects being delivered by Tamworth Borough Council’s Arts and Events team, thanks to lottery funding from Arts Council England, to bring art to new and unusual spaces during the refurbishment of Tamworth Assembly Rooms.

Cllr Joy Goodall, Tamworth Borough Council’s Cabinet member for Environment and Culture, said: “The idea behind Catch Art is to bring art to all areas of the town. We also wanted to involve the local community by inviting artists and school children to come up with colourful designs which will then be displayed on the bus shelters for all to see.

“The project has been made possible thanks to additional funding secured by the Arts & Events team from Arts Council England, which likes to support projects that encourage community participation in the arts.

“It made sense to launch the project with a bus shelter on the Tamworth in Bloom judging route and we hope this will help us in our quest to win gold for the eighth year in a row.
“I think the Wild About Tamworth bus shelter looks amazing, it brings some real colour to the street scene and shows people some of the amazing birds that can be found at the nearby Tameside Local Nature Reserve. I’m now looking forward to seeing what the rest of the project has in store later in the year.”