Nationally acclaimed street artists, kELzO and Entise, have brought their creativity to Collyhurst giving a once popular parade of local shops an artistic makeover.
Paying homage to Collyhurst residents past and present, together with popular landmarks and locations, the South Church Parade mural has proved to be an eye-catching addition to the area.
Locals have taken to social media to celebrate the street art which features boxing legend Mike Brodie and comedian Les Dawson alongside other characters who hail from the North Manchester suburb. To provide balance, the artists have painted wildlife seen in the neighbouring Irk valley and Sandhills areas into the mural which stretches across shutters, a gable end and onto a separate building,
Funded by Northwards Housing and Far East Consortium, the Collyhurst community artwork project took the artistic duo fourteen days. Tony Brady, aka KELzO, is a keen artist and historian, fascinated by inner city regeneration and development. He has been tracking activity around Angel Meadow and Collyhurst and capturing the changing landscape through his photography. When asked to undertake the Collyhurst commission he was delighted as its an area he is familiar with through growing up around the city centre.
“Manchester is changing rapidly, and I’m genuinely fascinated by the transformation”, says Tony. “My true passion is Manchester history and the stories that can be told about areas such as Collyhurst, the Irk Valley and Angel Meadow. Bringing some of those stories to life through art is a great way to engage with the community and bring more people over to the businesses on South Church Parade.”
Collyhurst is in the ‘Northern Gateway’, one of the largest residential-led regeneration projects in the UK, which aims to deliver up to 15,000 new homes across a range of tenures and housing types. The project is a joint venture between Manchester City Council and property developer Far East Consortium (FEC) and aims to develop new and existing neighbourhoods as part of an extended city centre, with improved walkways, cycleways and public transport connections.
