Heritage art trail to showcase town's black history

Myrle Roach said the event hoped to give people "a better understanding" of the black community in Wellingborough

An interactive art trail across venues is hoping to showcase a market town's black history.

The Heritage Art Trail is being launched by Made With Many, which worked with three artists to showcase historical aspects of Wellingborough's black community.

The project is under the mentorship of Black Heritage Walks Network and will be unveiled at the town's library on Saturday.

Myrle Roach, community engagement coordinator at Made With Many, said she hoped the trail would give people "a better understanding of the black community and its contributions and history in Wellingborough".

Ms Roach, who emigrated from Montserrat in 2002, said she had the idea after visiting a similar event in Birmingham.

"We made the call-out for artists and people responded, and as usual we have a community panel who looked at the applications and made the decision," she said.

Local residents spoke to the artists and shared "stories, memories and directed them" on ideas, which is "how the actual trail began to take shape", she added.

Content from the Northamptonshire Black History Association archives and the Victoria Centre also helped the artists develop their work.

Paintings of Olympic icon Anita Neil (left), from Wellingborough, and Founding Couple have been produced by Alan Howard

Anita Neil, from Wellingborough, was the first Black woman to compete for Great Britain at the Olympic Games and was appointed MBE in 2024.

She participated in the women's 100m and 4x100m relay team in Mexico City aged just 18 in 1968 and at the following Games in Munich four years later.

Alan Howard produced a piece of work on the Olympian, which will be showcased as part of the event.

Ms Roach said the trail would highlight black history and why people "came to Wellingborough [and] how they were welcomed".

The work of three artists will be showcased, including portrait work by Georgia Payne, audio stories by Andy Barrett and Mr Howard's mural art.

An audio trail will take people from the library to the Victoria Centre, United Reform Church, Wellingborough African Caribbean Association, and then Wellingborough Museum.

Garry Stewart, chief executive of Black Walks Network, said: "With this trail, the black history and heritage of Wellingborough is truly on the map.

"This is a great way to learn about the history of the African Caribbean communities who settled in the town."

The event on Saturday begins at 11:00 GMT and offers a chance to meet the artists involved.