Gloucester artist helps paint mural at Tredworth Infant School

Artist Tash Frootko helped pupils at Tredworth Infant School to design and paint the new community hub

Children have enlisted the help of a local artist to paint a vibrant mural on a school building that will host a safe space for families.

Tredworth Infant School in Gloucester opened its new community hub called The Hive on Monday.

It will host a weekly coffee morning, adult learning and will provide a clothes and foodbank.

The children created their own designs, which were given to Tash Frootko to come up with the final mural.

Artist Ms Frootko is well known for her work transforming the streets and squares of Gloucester through the use of colour and recently painted 'Rainbow Street' and Hopewell Street.

"The key is to be really bold and really vibrant," she said.

"I go for something that gives you the wow factor and I think this building definitely does that."

The Hive will be used as a community hub for families

Headteacher of Tredworth Infant School, Tracy Shipp, said the previous building was "boring" and "uninspiring".

"[We wanted] to make it more visual and to make it more a part of the community," said Ms Shipp.

Anna Rees, design and art subject lead at Tredworth Infant School, added that the children loved working on the project.

"Lots of them live in the local area, so they've really enjoyed walking past the house and walking past the project on Hopewell Street," she said.

Artist Tash Frootko says that colour is "key" in life

The children at the school come from 35 different countries and speak 28 different languages between them, with many arriving as refugees.

Pastoral lead Lisa Drake said art is very important to children who do not necessarily excel in the "normal" subjects like Maths and English.

"Quite often children don't feel they can verbalise how they're feeling so putting it on paper is much easier," said Ms Drake.

"Our community is so multicultural and we have so many colours around the community and it's great that the school can represent that."

The schoolchildren enjoyed visiting the colourful houses on Hopewell Street

Ms Frootko said she is currently working on commissions at schools in the local area so each school can have more colours on their buildings.

"For me, colour is so key in life," she said.

"I am bringing colour and vibrancy to the city of Gloucester and now to all the schools in the Barton and Tredworth area."

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