After a chance meeting with youth worker Stevie Westgarth in a pop-up art space in Carlisle, the idea for the Queer Rail Art Trail was born. Tyne Valley CRP, with the help of their neighbours the Cumbrian Coast CRP, were keen to help more young people from different communities travel by train, as well as establish stations as vibrant and inclusive spaces.

Working closely with Northern and Queer Cumbria, the CRPs commissioned artwork from young LGBTQ+ artists to be displayed at the 23 stations between Whitehaven and Newcastle, officially unveiling the panels at an event with over 200 people during Pride Month. Not only did the project provide a voice for diverse communities and an opportunity for them to exhibit their work, but it also enabled the CRPs to learn more about perceived barriers to rail travel, in turn providing a source of help and support for the LGBTQ+ community.

With the North East gearing up to celebrate the 200^th anniversary of the Stockton & Darlington Railway, Bishop Line CRP  recognised something needed to be done about the anti-social behaviour Shildon Station often experienced. The partnership engaged 200 13–14-year-old students with street artist Dan Walls to create a piece of artwork that would improve the experience of using Shildon Station footbridge and enable passengers to feel safer and more welcome at the station.

To tackle the anti-social behaviour in a peer-to-peer way, student ‘ambassadors’ were identified to be involved in the project, not only to develop the design but also to be equipped with the tools to speak up if other young people tried to graffiti the bridge. The student artists explored the themes of rail safety and pride of place, sharing their feelings of using the footbridge in its current state and how they would like it to feel as a result of the project. These ideas were turned into inspiring words and images that represented Shildon, and the students worked with Dan to learn street art techniques and apply the design themselves to the bridge.

The change in sentiment from the local community was visible throughout the whole process, as comments changed from “you’re wasting your time, the graffiti will appear again” when the team were cleaning and preparing the bridge, to “this is so colourful, what a fantastic project” once the artwork was complete.

Spearheaded by Co-Creative Connection with support from GTR’s community fund, this public art project was designed to bring life and colour to Finsbury Park Station, as well as connect local youth with the railway and create lasting, sustainable change through art.

Thirteen 14-15-year-olds from City of London Academy Highbury Grove participated in four workshops at the Arsenal Hub led by community artist Rose Hill. The sessions encouraged open discussion and creativity, with participants contributing ideas that reflected their cultural identities and values. Feedback from those involved in the workshops showed overwhelming positivity, with participants reporting increased feelings of cheerfulness, relaxation and belonging to the neighbourhood.

Two hand-painted and 14 vinyl murals were created, now visible to tens of thousands of daily commuters, transforming the station entrance into a vibrant showcase of local talent and diversity while serving as a colourful wayfinding tool for visitors to the Emirates Stadium.

Watch this video about the project.