The Street Matters is an artist-led partnership project aimed at exploring the potential for a neighbourhood plan for St Helens Road—a place where home life intersects with the local economy, culture, and faith. Fresh Creative got involved in the project back in 2022, hand painting the phrase “If this street could talk…” on the main façade of the building where the project is based.
Located in Swansea’s most diverse area, St Helen’s Road holds significant meaning for many residents. The project collaborated with fifty artists and creatives to develop a collective understanding of the area’s culture, history, and significance, considering how to plan for its future.
The initiative gathered people’s current views on the street, as well as their hopes and ideas for the future, focusing on climate, social, cultural, and community justice and sustainability, rather than traditional economic regeneration goals.
Fresh Creative were thrilled to get involved in The Street Matters project again, bringing some of the designs by Nylah Mak to life, with vibrant murals adorning every possible surface on St Helen’s Road.
The patterns and languages reflect the community of St Helen’s Road. From French to Arabic, to Yorba to Mandarin to Urdu and many more. The patterns collected by Nylah from the community come from all over the world, including Palestinian, the Ukraine, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nigeria and Wales!
The Street Matters was co-devised and developed by Owen Griffiths and Isabel Griffin. It was delivered through Ways of Working with community partners EYST, YMCA Swansea, Caredig and Glynn Vivian Art Gallery.
