Artwork brings 'ray of sunshine' to city underpass

A vibrant mural has been installed at the pedestrian and cycleway, which runs under the A10 to Ely Leisure Village

A collaborative art installation has brought a welcome "splash of colour" to an otherwise dull, grey, concrete underpass, according to local residents.

The pedestrian and cycleway runs beneath the busy A10 linking Ely, Cambridgeshire, to the Ely Leisure Village.

The large mural has attracted praise, with one saying "it brings a little ray of sunshine" to an otherwise utilitarian space.

The works were created by students from Ely College, as part of an after-school graffiti project with Cambridge street art company Splash and Dash Creations Ltd.

The students designed and completed the artwork in 90 minute sessions at an after-school graffiti club

The pupils, from Years 8 to 10, were asked to develop their own original ideas, with the best elements combined into a finished design.

Work began in April and it was completed by July, with installation taking place at the weekend.

Resident Bavna, who did not wish to give her surname, said the mural "brightened up the place" and was "just like a small ray of sunshine in Ely".

Steve Kendall's favourite image is the "smiling lady, she is so infectious"

Ely resident Steve Kendall, 64, walks his dog in the park near the subway every day.

"The art work is spectacular, it really brightens up the area which would otherwise just be grey concrete," he said.

"It is so nice that different groups have come together to do this - my favourite is the smiling lady, just brilliant."

Samantha Johnson thinks the subway looks "so much better than before"

Samantha Johnson was also enthusiastic about the transformation.

"It looks so much better than it did, the image of a smiling lady is infectious, it really lifts my day and makes me smile," said the 31-year-old, who lives five minutes from the underpass.

Lis Every, chair of the Community Safety Partnership, said she would like to "hear of more ideas from young people and where possible work together to make them happen"

The project was called The Gateway and students told the college they enjoyed its collaborative nature.

One said: "I first started Graffiti Club because I had just been to Birmingham where there were loads of cool graffiti murals and I thought it would be really cool to help make something like that in Ely."

Others said they liked learning about the origins of spray painting and "new techniques like blending, fading, filling".

Dave Farrington loved the new artwork describing it as beautiful

Mr Farrington said he hoped the other side of the underpass would be transformed next

Dave Farrington, 41, from Ely, described the work as an "art installation on my doorstep", but said he hoped the "dull, grey concrete" on the other side would be tackled next.

Project partners included City Of Ely Council, East Cambs Community Safety Partnership, and the district council and county councils.

It was funded by City of Ely Council and its community infrastructure levy committee.

The mural was installed in the underpass over the weekend