Community art brings Barrow's first university campus to life

Two new murals created through a community-led art project have been unveiled at the University of Cumbria’s Barrow campus this week, marking the culmination of a collaboration designed to put the people and character of Barrow at the heart of the university’s dockside site.

Commissioned by the University of Cumbria and delivered in partnership with Barrow arts charity BarrowFull and artist ATMA, the project set out to create more than two striking pieces of artwork. It aimed to create murals that felt connected to the place, reflected the people who call Barrow home and captured something of the opportunities emerging for the town.

Around 40 people from across the Barrow community, alongside University of Cumbria staff and students, took part in a series of creative workshops. A further 30 people contributed their ideas and experiences through verbal feedback, helping to shape the project.

Rather than starting with a blank canvas, artist ATMA used the workshops to listen to the community and gather ideas and creative responses that could inform the final artworks.

Participants were invited to explore three themes through various activities:

• The pride of Barrow – celebrating what people love about the town and what makes its community special.
• Life-changing opportunities – reflecting on the arrival of the University of Cumbria in Barrow and the positive impact it can have on local people and the wider community.
• New opportunities, paths and futures – imagining what could be possible for Barrow in this time of regeneration and its people in the years ahead.

Pictured above: Installation of the mural 'Shift' at the University of Cumbria Barrow campus

The workshops created a space for people to contribute their own perspectives on Barrow, with drawings, shapes, words, colours and ideas becoming the raw material for the final murals.

ATMA then brought these individual contributions together, transforming the workshop artwork into two large-scale pieces with very different identities: ‘Grand Barrow’ and ‘Shift’.

Pictured above: 'Shift' mural on the first floor at the University of Cumbria Barrow campus

Pictured above: 'Grand Barrow' mural on the groundfloor at the University of Cumbria Barrow campus

The result is a visual representation of the relationship between people, place and partnership – themes that sit at the heart of the University of Cumbria’s approach to working across the communities it serves.

The university’s presence in Barrow is part of a wider commitment to making a positive contribution to the places in which it operates. Its Towards 2030 strategy places a strong emphasis on being a university that is connected to its communities and responds to the needs and opportunities of the places around it.

The project also builds on the university’s growing role in Barrow and the opportunities that its campus brings to the town.

Pictured above: artist ATMA explaining the different elements of the murals and the meaning behind them

The completed artworks were unveiled to guests at a special reception at the University of Cumbria’s Barrow campus.

Following introductions from Professor Brian Webster Henderson OBE, Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Cumbria and artist ATMA, which included talking through specific thought processes and meaning attached to each piece of artwork, attendees took part in a walking tour of the murals. ‘Grand Barrow’ is on the ground floor and ‘Shift’ is on the first floor.

Artwork created during the community workshops was also displayed with ATMA on hand for attendees to meet the artist and gain a deeper understanding of the meaning and inspiration behind each piece, allowing visitors to see how the original ideas and creative contributions had evolved into the finished murals.

Pictured above: Guests viewing the artwork produced at the workshops that helped inform the final mural designs

Professor Brian Webster Henderson OBE, Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Cumbria, said: “At the University of Cumbria, our Towards 2030 strategy is grounded in a commitment to be an anchor institution within the communities we serve. These murals are a powerful expression of that ambition, reflecting the voices, creativity and aspirations of local people while celebrating Barrow’s unique identity. They demonstrate what can be achieved when a university works in partnership with its community to create something meaningful and lasting.” 

Pictured above: Mural artist ATMA

ATMA said: “This project was about listening before creating. The workshops gave people the opportunity to share what Barrow means to them, from its strong sense of community to their hopes for the future. My role was to bring those ideas together into artworks that feel authentic to the town and the people who contributed. I hope the murals give everyone who sees them a sense of pride and connection.” 

Kathrin Bonnar, Producer at BarrowFull, said: “Art can be a brilliant way of getting people to think about where they live, what they are proud of and where they want to go next. This project has brought those conversations into the university campus and turned them into something tangible that people can see every day.” 

The murals are now a permanent part of the University of Cumbria’s Barrow campus, creating a visible connection between the university and the community around it.