Articulate Cultural Trust: You can’t argue with gable end walls

Artivism: The Gable End Edition is a public art project led by care-experienced young people in collaboration with street artists to create large-scale art murals across Scotland.

Articulate Cultural Trust are working with young people, artists, partners, schools and youth services to turn blank gable end walls of buildings into huge works of art. These art works represent care experience to the communities, as well as the young artists’ identities, aspirations and vision for a more inclusive Scotland.

The initiative challenges stigma, strengthens connections and builds pathways into the creative industries for some of the participants. The project celebrates creativity, belonging and young people’s right to access arts and culture under Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The project initially had plans to create murals in four cities, Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow. But after obtaining additional funding for three murals, a fifth has been completed in the Western Isles. Ar n-àite, meaning Our Place, was commissioned by young people in the Outer Hebrides and co-created with internationally renowned mural artist Smug. The next two are planned for Orkney and Barrhead. 

Each mural begins with collaborative sessions exploring themes around young people’s experiences, like identity, freedom, mental health and systemic change. Guided by trauma-informed practice, the work uses creativity as a tool to heal and build confidence. And, where possible, participants visit local galleries, colleges and partner studios to help them get creative. 

There are opportunities to pick up creative skills from workshops, paid roles, formal training and events, including illustration, mural design, sign writing, collaboration, public speaking, working at heights, health and safety, and evaluation – all transferrable to creative and non-creative careers. There are important soft skills on offer too, like confidence, communication, teamwork and self-expression. In some cases, accreditation and paid roles added experience to CVs, and several young people said their involvement helped them apply for employment and further study.

Stornoway mural

Chief Executive of the Trust, Eona Craig, explains how the project started: “The young participants thought it’d be great to share their views and aspirations in a really public, large-scale format. They wanted to pull the conversation about care experienced young people right out into the open, so communities were aware of what it means to be care experienced in Scotland today. They wanted to show what they have to offer, and to be positive, colourful and though-provoking. In workshopping, it became clear street art and mural installation was the direction to take, because it’s a platform that can’t fail to be noticed. You can’t really argue with a gable end.”

The young collaborators were involved from the very beginning, helping the Articulate team to construct a successful bid to the National Lottery through the Young Start Fund, as well as commission artists to work with them.

There were challenges. While participants’ creativity was boundless, finding wall spaces and securing the permissions to paint on them was not straightforward. There have been delays, and maintaining momentum during those delays required significant effort. But persistence is paying off.

So far the Gable End project  hasdelivered hundreds of hours of creative engagement that resulted in new friendships, improved peer communication and local pride. At launches, postcard pledges and public feedback showed communities valued the work and supported improved opportunity and representation for people with care experience. There is strong media interest too, and social media reached an estimated five million people so far.

Overall, the project shows that every young person, regardless of background, has the right to be seen, heard and valued in the places they live.

The Glasgow mural, the largest of the artworks – now referred to as ‘The Promise Mural – was created by Artisan Artworks and 10 young people from Glasgow and Barrhead. It is made up of large-scale posters spanning 10 x 18 metres in total, reflecting social change under the slogan ‘Weans run it’.

You can find the artworks at Market Street in Aberdeen, Wellgate Shopping Centre in Dundee, in the Corporate Parenting Hub in Edinburgh, Cathedral Street (University of Strathclyde) in Glasgow and An Lanntair ats centre in Stornoway.

The murals are due to be linked together in 2027 through the Belonging Trail, a digital project sharing the stories of the young people behind the artworks, their creative process and the impact of the programme.

Hear it from the young participants

The personal impact of The Gable End Edition is best expressed in the words of the young people who were a part of it.

• Michael said the project helped him become an active advocate and young leader, and he now represents care experienced voices nationally, sitting on the Scottish Youth Parliament.
• Toby gained confidence, completed multiple Arts Awards levels, and has taken on creative commissions.
• Natalia said it was a new and refreshing feeling to see her artwork on the building – a feeling of being seen. She secured a place to study at university and said some skills she learned on the programme helped her in the preparation course that supported her application.
• Noah said the project not only increased his creative skills and added to his portfolio, it helped him to secure a place at art school. He also went on to paint live in front of an audience of around 5,000 people.

Watch here how the Aberdeen gable end was created: