There’s some new additions to the high street in Fleetwood and they’ve been shaped by Fleetwood’s unique heritage by artists in collaboration with residents.
As part of Fleetwood’s High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) Cultural Programme a series of creative commissions have been taking place in collaboration with artists and community members. The first phase of the project included incredible contributions from artist Kate Eggleston-Wirtz and animator Trevor Woolery that explored Fleetwood’s 1841 census data and memories of Fleetwood’s high street. The second phase of this project has yielded new artwork now visible on the high street, including a series of illustrations created by artist Laura-Kate Draws and a new large-scale mural by Blackpool-based street artist Christian Fenn, aka Seca One.
Arts Engagement Coordinator for the project Angelica Vanasse said that ‘working with artists helped us to explore the past through a creative lens, and their curiosity brought many unique elements of Fleetwood’s heritage into the work that they created. Being able to bring their artwork to the high street and town centre has made their discoveries and the contributions of Fleetwood residents visible in a way that everyone can explore. It’s also helped to create opportunities for people to connect with and shape the stories connected to Fleetwood’s past in ways that are meaningful to them. People are indeed the beating heart of Fleetwood, and this is a line that one of the residents shared during an engagement session with artist Laura-Kate Draws that has become a key part of the artwork created.’’
Fleetwood Museum pictured- the ground floor windows have been decorated with illustrations by Laura-Kate Draws.
Drawing on heritage with artist Laura-Kate Draws
Laura-Kate Draws created a series of illustrations inspired by the people, places and aspects of Fleetwood’s past that were shared through a number of community engagement sessions, workshops and conversations with people in Fleetwood throughout 2022. Laura-Kate shared that:
‘working on the HAZ project was a wonderful experience, not only did I get to learn a huge amount about the history and heritage of Fleetwood but I also got to meet and talk to a wide demographic of people and communities that live in Fleetwood and call it home. Hearing about a place directly from residents is always the best way to build a picture of a town. Buildings and historical facts are important but the heart of a town is the people who live there and throughout my work on the project this was always the focus – how to translate the thoughts, feelings and memories of communities and turn this into pieces of artwork that was reflective of these conversations. It was important to me that the illustrations created encapsulated the spirit of Fleetwood and I hope that the resulting artworks are something its residents are proud of.’
You can find the illustrations that Laura-Kate created displayed on windows on and around the high street, including the former Regenda offices and HSBC building on Lord Street, at Fleetwood Museum, Westview Community Centre, Marine Hall and in the windows at Fleetwood library. A number of limited edition screen printed posters and tote bags were also created and given to Fleetwood residents as part of this commission and some of these are on display at Fleetwood Library on the first floor.
Illustrations by Laura-Kate Draws in the windows of Fleetwood Museum.
Only in Fleetwood… with street artist Seca One
Seca One worked closely with Westview Community Centre’s youth group as well as the HSHAZ and Fleetwood Museum teams to delve into the unique aspects of Fleetwood’s history and create a unique mural to reflect his findings. Looking to create a statement piece for the town, something they could be proud of and talk about for years to come, he spent time finding just the right spot for this artwork. His initial research included time in and around the high street, research with the Fleetwood Museum team and conversations with young people and the team at Westview Community Centre to develop concepts based on the interests and aspirations of community members. He also spent time in Fleetwood exploring locations on the high street for the mural and meeting people to discuss his ideas. He worked with the community centre’s youth group to create a one of a kind mural on a boat (now on display at the centre).
A boat decorated with a mural- on display at Westview Community Centre.
The mural on the corner of Lord Street and Mount Street depicts imagery that celebrates the annual Landladies race that took place from 1956 all the way up to 2004. It’s a large-scale mural measuring 7 metres high by 10 metres across and he says it’s probably the largest mural he’s done solo. He enjoyed the time he spent in Fleetwood and getting to work closely with the people in the town, who he says looked after him well and are salt of the earth. Describing his creative process, he told us that it involved integrating the ideas and aspirations of local residents with historical reference to remember the past, connect the present and look forward to the future.
Mural on the corner of Lord Street and Mount Street depicting the Landladies race that took place from 1956-2004.
He also shared details about the process of creating the mural and his inspiration for the concept, saying that:
‘after workshops, community engagement, flicking through archives and extensive research gathered from the museum and previous HSHAZ projects, the final subject we decided on was the Landladies’ Race from the ‘only In’ Fleetwood’ part of the museum display. Back in the day, along with its world famous fishing industry Fleetwood was also a thriving tourist destination attracting thousands of holidaymakers to its scenic lake district coastline and beaches every summer. With the many guesthouses in the town somewhere along the way (in 1956) The Landladies’ Race was formed and continued to be an annual event for the next 48 years. The Race was all for fun, some people got dressed up and thousands spectated as all the landladies from local guest houses raced around the Mount carrying service trays with teapots and cutlery. The mural revisits this era and aims to spark new conversation about a nearly forgotten time with the next generation to talk about and hopefully pass on the tales for years to come.’
The next HSHAZ creative commission as part of the cultural programme is currently underway and involves a socially-engaged photographic commission with photographer Hannah O’Hara in partnership with Photoworks, an international platform for audiences and artists that champion photography. There will be more opportunities to get involved in HSHAZ workshops and activities over the summer and in the autumn. Follow @fleetwoodhazculture on Instagram and Facebook to stay in the loop.