Stories Behind The Art: It's Power Hour

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.

The eleventh hexagon is another contribution to the wall by the students of Highshore School, A secondary school situated in Camberwell, working tirelessly to support the unique needs of every one of their students. Each of the 144 pupils require Special Educational Needs, and a vast number have become actively involved in both the painting and designing of the Brandon Estate wall! 

This design celebrates the wildlife of Kennington Park, depicting with untold joy the ‘Power Hour’ of the Park, when the animals are all out singing and gallivanting around the open grass! The birds in the tree bring music to our ears and even the ducks in the pond, despite being caught in a little rain shower, happily cry out and enjoy splashing about in the rain. 

With so much life in the painting, it is hard not to hear the buzz of the heavy bees and the songs of the birds and ducks right in your very ears. Another fantastic piece from all involved!