A new piece of street art “a year in the making” has been unveiled.
Paul Curits has become renowned for his street art across Merseyside, from the Liver Bird Wings in the Baltic Triangle to a mural in Halewood commentating Katarina Johnson Thomposn.
However, last year he was approached to do something a little different, from someone who was on a “hunt for a wall” where some artwork could be painted. Speaking to the ECHO, Paul said: “It’s been about a year in the making. Karen Currums, who works for the Scouts in Wirral, contacted me in November last year about some artwork.”
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Paul said he had to deal with a “bit of pushback” from some during the project, but this isn’t uncommon in his field of work. He said: “People who aren’t aware of street art, it’s an unusual thing for a company to invest in, when actually it’s much better than traditional advertising, much more exciting than a poster or an advert.”
Karen, who is the local growth officer for the Scouts, wanted to use the street art to celebrate the history of the Scouts in Wirral. The Birkenhead group claims to be the first ever Troop in the movement, registering themselves as an official group in 1908 only a year after the Scouts Association itself was founded.
Paul was excited to work on something for a group he wishes he had been a part of. He said: “I think I would have really enjoyed it. These days, I’m more into the outdoors so I kind of regret not joining the Scouts.”
A wall was eventually found on Brighton Street in Wallasey, close to the town hall, for the artwork. The Scouts wanted to promote inclusivity and make sure their members had a chance to be involved in the design process of the mural.
Two real life local members, Birkenhead Explorer Jack and West Wirral Scout Beatrice, were chosen to be pictured in the finished piece, which features them sharing a conversation around a campfire. The image entitled, “#SkillsForLife”, measures 72 square metres and aims to symbolise a sense of fun, unity, inclusion and happiness.
The artwork was unveiled on November 4 last week by Cllr Jerry Williams, who is The Mayor of Wirral, and Scout Adventurer Sean Conway. Sean, who is one of the world’s greatest endurance athletes, holds the world record for completing 105 Iron Man challenges in 105 days.
(Image: Liverpool Echo)
The hope is the mural will attract the attention of those in the local area and encourage not only young people to pursue adventures in scouting but also inspire adults to volunteer and help more scouts learn important skills for life.
Paul said: “We had a few meetings and looked through several designs. It was a balance – I said, you’ve got to keep it quite simple.
“I think the mural gets across the friendships that they make and the outdoors. Karen was a big part of coming up with the design. I was involved with making sure it worked with the wall I was walking on.”
Commenting on the mural, Karen Currums said: “Working with Paul on this mural has been a dream. We have a huge number of scouts right across the Wirral but to continue to give young people opportunities to have fun and adventures, we rely on adults volunteering their time.
“We hope that Paul’s amazing mural will spark the imagination of local people and inspire them to help us assist our Scouts in realising their potential. We had a fantastic time at the unveiling, bringing the community together and celebrating our Scouts’ achievements and all of the hard work our volunteers do.
“We’re delighted with the mural and extremely grateful to Paul for providing us with a lasting legacy for the Wirral Scouts.”
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