A brand-new art installation created by local children and people from the West Yorkshire community has gone on display at Huddersfield Railway Station.
The Horizons artwork, which consists of six sculptures decorated in bright and vibrant paintings, has been produced by members of Artists Attic Trust together with children from Carlton Junior and Infant School in Dewsbury.
Train company TransPennine Express (TPE), which manages the station, made a donation to help get the project off the ground – with funding also provided by the school.
Kathryn O’Brien, Customer Service & Operations Director for TransPennine Express, said: “This bright and colourful artwork will be a wonderful addition to our station and both the pupils and community should be really proud of their creation.
“Joined by members of the local community, I was delighted to be at Huddersfield yesterday for the unveiling of the piece, which is a powerful and thought-provoking depiction that will help raise awareness for some really important subjects. Supporting communities across our network is incredibly important to us and we’ve recently released a new plan outlining this commitment as part of how we will become a more sustainable business.”
Located on Platform one, the installation is inspired by and aims to raise awareness of mental health and wellbeing as well as diversity, cultural awareness, sanctuary, academia and identity.
This is the second artwork produced by the Trust and displayed on the railway, with their first piece already proudly in situ at Dewsbury Railway Station.
A spokesperson for Artists Attic Trust said: “Artists Attic Trust are extremely proud and privileged to have been a part of this joint community project. This type of work is at the core of our organisation, we believe that the community at large must be given a daily voice to be heard and to make change.
“Visual art projects like this send a clear message of unity and understanding to our community, not to mention showing off the sometimes hidden talent that’s in us all, and allowing us to invest energy into expressing ourselves. The time has come for us all to be proud of who we are; a diverse, multi-cultural, resilient society who successfully work so well together.”
Rizwana Mahmood, Head of Carlton Junior and Infant School said: “Horizons started as a partnership project with TransPennine Express (TPE) and Lancashire Community Rail in 2018. The purpose of the project was to help children understand the possibilities of train travel and to inspire children into rail careers. Whilst this was the main focus, there were other strands of life that were being covered such as mental health and empowering young girls and women through the form of artistic impression, poetry by young women and day trips to other cities.
“Due to the success of the first launch at Dewsbury station, we decided to expand the project to its second phase. Once again, TPE has been exceptional in supporting the children with this project and we have successfully launched a new set of murals celebrating the life and culture of Huddersfield. I owe a huge thank you to TPE’s Customer Service & Operations Director, Kathryn O’Brien for sourcing the funding and to Community Manager Daniel Fox, who made the Horizons mural come to life at Huddersfield, and last but not least to Artists Attic and the children of Carlton JI. The Journey will continue!”
Based in Batley, Artists Attic Trust helps communities engage in art programs and events for therapy, wellness, community beautification or self-growth.
Photo credit: TransPennine Express
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