A very special piece of community artwork now has a permanent home at Tees Valley Women’s Centre, celebrating almost four decades of women, friendship, support and community in South Bank.
Our new community mural was officially unveiled this September, bringing together women from the Centre, friends, partners and members of our wider community to celebrate the finished artwork and, most importantly, the women and stories behind it.
Led by local artist Jessica Leigh, the mural has been a truly collaborative project from beginning to end.
Women from the Centre were invited to share their memories, experiences and ideas about Tees Valley Women’s Centre, South Bank and the community that has grown around the Centre over the years. These conversations helped shape the design before the women themselves picked up the paintbrushes and helped bring the mural to life.
Many started the project saying they weren’t artists, but as the mural developed, so did their confidence. Women worked together, tried something new and contributed their own creativity to a piece of artwork that will now remain part of the Centre for years to come.
Every part of the mural has a story behind it. It represents the women who have walked through our doors, the friendships formed here, challenges overcome, opportunities created and the sense of belonging and community that has grown at Tees Valley Women’s Centre over almost 40 years.
The finished mural was officially revealed at a special celebration at the Centre, giving everyone involved the opportunity to stand back and see what they had achieved together.
It was wonderful to welcome so many people to share the occasion with us and to see the women who had contributed to the project receive the recognition they deserved.
The story of the mural has also travelled far beyond the walls of the Centre.
ITV Tyne Tees News joined us for the reveal, sharing the project and the women behind it with viewers across the region. We were delighted to see such positive attention focused on our women, Tees Valley Women’s Centre and our South Bank community.
The mural has also been featured by BBC News, sharing the story of the project and how it celebrates nearly 40 years of Tees Valley Women’s Centre.
Click below to read the article in full.
We are incredibly proud to see the project recognised in this way, but what makes the mural particularly special to us is what it represents.
For almost four decades, women have walked through the doors of Tees Valley Women’s Centre for many different reasons. Some have come to learn new skills or gain qualifications. Others have needed advice, practical help or support. Women have come to build their confidence, improve their wellbeing, meet new people and find friendship and a sense of belonging.
Every one of those women has played a part in making Tees Valley Women’s Centre what it is today.
This mural captures a little of that history. It isn’t simply artwork on a wall – it is part of our story, created by women from our community for the women and community of the future.
Of course, none of this would have been possible without the support of the people and organisations who helped bring the project to life.
We would like to say a huge thank you to Teesworks Benevolent Foundation for generously funding the project, and to TS6 Pride in Place for their contribution towards making it possible.
Thank you to PPG for supplying the paint materials that enabled our women to turn their ideas into reality, and to Bon Appetit Group Ltd for generously donating the delicious food for our opening reception and helping make the celebration even more special.
A very special thank you goes to Jessica Leigh for leading the project with such creativity and enthusiasm, and for working alongside our women throughout the whole journey.
And, above all, thank you to every woman who took part.
Whether you shared a memory, contributed an idea, picked up a paintbrush or helped in another way, you have contributed to something that will remain part of Tees Valley Women’s Centre for many years to come. You should all be incredibly proud of what you have created.
As we approach 40 years of supporting women, it feels particularly fitting to have something created by our women that reflects where we have come from, who we are today and the community that continues to surround us.
The mural is a celebration of women, of South Bank, of friendship, resilience and community – and a lasting reminder of what can be achieved when people come together.
A lasting legacy for Tees Valley Women’s Centre and for the generations of women who will walk through our doors in the years ahead.
Supporting Women. Changing Lives. Building Brighter Futures.
