St Albans Mural Project
We Are One
Project Evaluation
Project Title
St Albans Murals
- We Are One -
Project Scale
64
square metres
Total Budget
£2,200
*inclusive of materials and fees
About St Albans Murals Project
St Albans Murals project was set up in 2022. The aim of the project is to engage the public with visual art. Create more welcoming environments for the public and meaningful art pieces that foster a sense of community and provide opportunities for artists to showcase their work and connect with the community through art.
2022
Project founded and initiated by St Albans based artist Aisha Adi founder of Collective Gallery. Bar Meze are the partner business who own the building and have authorised the use of the wall.
2023
Sponsorship from St Albans City Centre BID commenced.
2026
The current mural marks the fourth consecutive year of this successful collaboration between Collective gallery, Bar meze and St Albans City Centre BID.
Creative Strategy
The 2026 mural is a chronological celebration of local commerce and community history. Spanning from the Roman infrastructure to modern day volunteers in the community of St Albans, our core objective was to foster pride engage local stakeholders and create an inclusive and vibrant mural.
We Are One is a storyboard mural that uses characters to document the building of the foundations of St Albans through time to the community volunteers who tirelessly hold our communities together and build hope for the future.
The Inclusion of diverse figures such as Joseph Johnson reflects real documented city trading history therefore celebrating local heritage. The design has integrated seven historical and contemporary characters including a Roman builder, a Tudor market stall holder representing the Charter Market, historic street performer Joseph Johnson a modern busker and three community volunteers. The figures are tied in with large areas of colour that represent waves. The pattern is continuously reversed- suggesting that the story continues past the space of the wall into the future.
All murals require different approaches For this project a bold style was chosen over hyper realism and detail. This was to ensure that the artwork remains visually bold when viewed from a distance. The design was strategically structured to allow for community volunteers to safely paint on the lower areas.
Cost Comparison
Operating on a budget of £2,200 the project was delivered at a rate of £34.38 per square metre. Standard commercial street art rates typically range from £80-£200 per square metre.
The minor budget adjustment from previous years directly reflects the increased material costs and ensuring a sustainable living wage fee for artists.
Stakeholder Feedback & Public Impact
Neighbouring independent business owners have provided positive feedback, including that the design looks striking, the colours brighten the area and the subject matter is interesting.
There has been overwhelming public praise and active community engagement. The community painting aspect ensured that the public were fully involved with the process. Pedestrians and passers by continuously interacted positively with the artists and volunteers.
A Mural For All
Alongside the volunteers who helped to create the mural, there was regular engagement from the community and visitors to the area. Over the duration of the project people stopped to talk about the mural and ask questions. Others commented on the process suggesting colours and additional characters that could be featured. For those who live and work close by there was a sense of shared ownership of the wall conveyed, with people stating that they look forward every year to seeing the mural design take shape.
Conclusion
This project has demonstrated that a grassroots vision can deliver high value for the community on a minimal budget.
Public art naturally invites diverse opinions. We appreciate that the sponsorship is public funds from levy payers. A visual asset for just £2200 represents a small fraction of any regeneration costs. Feedback from the community has been positive and many feel that the mural has made the vicinity more attractive to look at. Furthermore the active involvement of community volunteers demonstrates measurable stakeholder engagement.
Stakeholder Testimonials & Community Impact
Volunteer Painters
"I enjoyed being part of something in the community and doing something I have never done before. It was such a great experience”
"I enjoyed the art itself and making a difference to the St Albans street scene. Murals are an excellent way to involve the community”
"I enjoyed being part of a community project"
"I enjoyed painting, knowing its part of something big. It was really fun, to contribute to something everyone would see, thank you”
General Public
"We live locally- its been a joy to see this in process"
"Joseph Johnson sounds like an interesting person- I will look him up”
"The latest mural is excellent. I feel lucky to hear about the characters and themes featured from yourself in person”
Local Independent Businesses
"I’m sure people will like it, you have done a great job- its very colourful”
"It looks great, brightens up the road”
"It looks very good, well done. Can you paint our wall as well”
PHASE 1
Grid and layout line work
Technical scaling and character layout
PHASE 2
Community collaboration
Active stakeholder engagement
PHASE 3
Detailing and outlines
