Stories Behind The Art:Unity in the Community

August 9th, 2019

The Brandon Estate in Kennington Park was in desperate need of some care and attention after it had spent years at the mercy of spray paint and graffiti. Local residents felt that the 60m stretch of wall surrounding Kennington Park represented the bygone days of gang culture and violence, a time the community were keen to leave behind. 

Brewers Decorator Centres in association with local group Bee Urban undertook an ambitious community scheme alongside the Brandon Tenants Residents Association to restore the community’s spirit and unity by painting a massive mural along a 60m wall, making it one of London’s longest murals.

Brewers Peckham store manager Jimmy Thomson was delighted to help by donating over 150 litres of Albany Paint to the community project. The Peckham store were blown away by the enthusiasm of Bee Urban’s Barnaby Shaw as his team strove to overcome the negative image created about the estate, seeking instead to highlight a very different message.  


Located at the very centre of the mural, the 9th half hexagon on the wall is a testimonial to all those who make the Brandon Estate such an incredible community. 

Kennington Park is so much more than just a small part of London, it is also a small part of the world, with so many differing nationalities making up the demographic of Kennington, this half hexagon is a celebration of all those who make up the local community.
 
From Egypt to Brazil, Japan to Poland, it does not matter where you come from, everyone can call Kennington home. It is a clear and exuberant message that the local residents wish to convey, one of welcomeness and acceptance. It is with one voice that the residents cry “Unity in the Community.”