Business partnership tackles striking football mural

A recent collaboration between Leeds College of Building and GOALS soccer centre in Kirkstall resulted in the creation of an eye-catching football mural.

An all-female group of City & Guilds Level 1 Painting & Decorating Diploma students spent two weeks working with local artist Nicolas Dixon, whose artwork can be seen around the world, completing the outdoor project in extremely challenging conditions.

Denis Metcalf, Leeds College of Building Enrichment Manager, explained, “We’ve had a brilliant relationship with GOALS for over 15 years and regularly use their soccer facilities for student enrichment and fitness. Steve, the GOALS Facilities Manager, made the initial suggestion of creating a noticeable piece of artwork that would transforming a blank wall in the shooting area. We always look out for work-based experiences for our students, so were happy to assist.”

Given the creative element of the project, Denis reached out to Leeds-born artist Nicolas Dixon, after seeing his commissions at various sites, including Leeds Kirkgate Market, Trinity Shopping Centre, LUFC’s Elland Road, and the world famous Bielsa the Redeemer mural in Wortley. Nicolas was delighted to support the initiative and pass on his knowledge to the students, who all volunteered their time to help.

Together, the group collaborated on the large-scale mural outside the GOALS clubhouse for over two weeks. The design was inspired by themes of football, Leeds cityscape, and Nicolas’s style of art using the unconscious mind.

Denis continued, “The students got so much out of this, and all said they could relate to Nicolas, given he worked in the building trade before becoming a full-time artist. Nick’s attitude is that anything is possible. He understands that many people have hidden talent that is only discovered when trying new things with a positive, open mind.

“The students got to work with an amazing artist and learn team-building skills while also being part of something really special that will be seen by thousands of people each year. We would love to look at more projects like this and hopefully work with Nicolas again using other student groups.”

John Stevenson, Leeds College of Building Painting & Decorating Lecturer, added, “The students conducted themselves brilliantly and did an amazing job working outside in freezing conditions on some days. They all volunteered their own time around teaching schedules and absolutely smashed the end result. They were all really brave to put their creativity on show and are a real credit to the college.”

Gaining real-life work experience through employer partnerships is a vital part of the training at Leeds College of Building. Previous Painting & Decorating projects have included renovating a scout hut, painting Herd Farm activity centre offices, and working at Headingley Cricket Club.

Artist Nicolas Dixon said, “The dedication that the students showed was very impressive and admirable. The conditions were pretty much the coldest I’ve painted in for the 15 years I’ve been an artist. That takes a lot of character to turn up and work in those challenging conditions, so hats off to them.

“It was great to see some of their inner artist coming out too, the more the project progressed. They can be very proud of what they’ve achieved in helping create something that will be on public display for many years to come.”

A spokesperson at GOALS concluded, “We are thrilled with how the kick wall is now looking, thanks to the work of Leeds College of Building and Nicolas Dixon. We have customers commenting frequently, and we can’t thank everyone involved enough.

“Because of this piece, we can now incorporate the Kick Wall into our kids’ parties as we are immensely proud of what has been produced. All the students that took part in this project should be proud of the work they have done to make this stunning piece of art.”

The news coincides with national Colleges Week; a celebration of the impact colleges have on their local communities and across the country. Aptly, the theme today (Thursday, 6 March) is how colleges “break down barriers to opportunity."

To learn more about Painting & Decorating courses or the sport and enrichment opportunities at Leeds College of Building, visit the next Open Day on Saturday 22nd March, North Street & South Bank Campuses, 10am – 1pm. Register to attend at: www.lcb.ac.uk/open-events