Hot on the heels of the completion of three murals in Brixham already this year, plans have been announced for the painting of a further three to adorn walls in the port at a cost in excess of £8,000. Over the past decade, the walls, gable ends, and alleyways of Brixham have been transformed into a sea of painted murals depicting various parts of the port’s rich cultural heritage and becoming a walking trail in their own right. With funding from the Brixham Lottery and a grant from the National Lottery, the streets of the town have become a treasure chest of hidden art pieces.
John Brennan, the chairman of Brixham Future CIC, came up with the idea of micro-regeneration projects some years ago as a low-cost initiative to brighten up the port and encourage local improvements to help make Brixham a nicer place to live and visit. Over the years, more murals were added and now form a trail that has become an attraction for visitors. “It was just an idea for a small way that we could improve Brixham,” said Sasha Rakonersty, one of the volunteers at Brixham Future.
“Everywhere in the UK, high streets are suffering. The murals help to invigorate the dark spaces. John hoped that brightening up these little parts of the town would improve the place, bring the community together and make people proud of the town centre.
” The first mural that Brixham Futures commissioned was on Fore Street, showing a treasure map taken from original documents in 1615. Just down the road, a sec.