I'm a street artist and I am plan to transform my town one mural at a time

A street artist is bringing his art, which has transformed communities around the world, is coming to a North-West town to help turn its fortunes around. Christian Fenn (aka Seca) and Hayley Garner (Aylo) are bringing their eye-catching murals to Fleetwood in a community engagement project designed to help its people and the place.

The pair have been involved in projects in Mexico, Morocco and the USA, and have launched The Big Heart Project ‘Transforming Our Towns One Mural At A Time’ which aims to leave a lasting legacy of positivity and change in Fleetwood and beyond.

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READ MORE: The Big Heart Project is run by Butterfly Effected, a Community Interest Company (CIC) founded by Christian and co-directed by Hayley, which uses art, storytelling, and therapy to inspire and support individuals facing adversity, with a focus on addiction, mental health, LGBTQ+ rights and child poverty.

Christian a former heroin addict, relates to those who find life a struggle and hopes the art will bring comfort and confidence to local people, and help them find their own more positive path. He said: “I have got a passion for helping change people’s lives for the better. I support the underdogs.

“There are people living in communities like Blackpool and Fleetwood who don’t get the life chances that others do in different parts of the country for a whole host of reasons. I want to do my bit to try to change that.

“We are looking at using mural art to help transform Fleetwood with 10 murals across the town which will help bring pride and hope to local people - and also bring visitors into the town to see the murals which will help support the local economy.”

The pair will be running community workshops, and each mural will be inspired mostly by the group they work with. 

The end result will be that Fleetwood itself becomes an art museum which injects pride back into the town for residents and brings in visitors from all over to come and see the art.

Each mural will be interactive with a QR code so people can listen and see on their mobile phones the stories, creativity and artistic thinking behind each image.

Christian added: “There’s the visible inspiration of seeing art like this across a community. Then when you hear the stories behind them it takes the experience to another level.

“It really helps people to engage with the murals and gives the artwork even more power to change people’s lives for the better.

“Hopefully this will start bringing people into the town and help to turn around Fleetwood’s fortunes as a place and raise the aspirations of people living here to be the best they can be.”

Starting as a website collecting stories of triumph over hardship, it now includes large-scale murals, workshops, and therapy sessions.

Christian a former heroin addict, relates to those who find life a struggle and hopes the art will bring comfort and confidence to local people, and help them find their own more positive path.

He said: “I have got a passive addiction. Thirteen years ago I was in a really dark place. I almost died.

“I became a self-employed artist 10 years ago. I found something which helped me find a way forward.

“Everyone needs something to tap into, to relate to. I started painting and traveling and realised the power of art, not just for me, but for other people and for whole communities.

“There was a 16-year-old girl who saw one of my murals and shared with me the effect it had on her life.”

The Big Heart Project will involve a range of international street artists. As well as Seca and Aylo, other artists already confirmed include Bane and Lei Mai Leamow.

The project relies on donations from businesses, organisations and individuals.

JJ Fitzgerald, who is from Fleetwood and founded Evolution which refurbishes social housing across the North-West from its headquarters in Blackpool, is one of the first to back the project with a four figure donation.

JJ said: “Personally and professionally I believe we should be doing everything we can for the people in our communities who might not have the opportunities that others do.

“This project is inspiring. It is about helping people and the wider community on so many levels.”

For more information or to donate to this project click HERE.