Crewe Arts Development Programme

Crewe Arts Development Programme and Art Trail: Making Crewe

Crewe Town Council was awarded UKSPF funding to deliver an Arts Development Project and Art Trail between January 2024 and March 2025. The trail is displayed in accessible locations throughout the town for residents and visitors alike to enjoy.

The Development Project brought creative activity, events and new art commissions to Crewe!

People in Crewe learnt and developed skills, giving them the know-how to fund, create, curate and showcase more of their artworks in future.

The Crewe Art Trail

Over the past year we have been working with the Crewe community to design and make Crewe’s first Art Trail through an art development programme of community consultation, workshops and events.  Centred around the theme Making Crewe, the Art Trail pays tribute to the town’s history of making, its prominent figures and also celebrates the communities who make Crewe what it is today.

The Art Trail showcases the rich creativity of the town through events, activities, artworks and displays made by (and with!) the local community.

Map key

1. Re-Making Crewe by Cherie Grist, YMCA, Cheshire College South and West, Visyon Creative Connections Programme at the Lyceum Theatre, Cheshire East Youth Justice team and Cheshire Buddies. Located on High Street, 2024.

2. Making Crewe by Akse P19. Located on the Crewe Town Council building on Forge Street, 2025.

3. We Make Crewe by Carrie Reichardt, YMCA, Cheshire Buddies and the Crewe community. Located on Lyceum Square, 2025.

4. Crewe Vortex by David Jewkes. Located on Lyceum Square, 2024.

5. The Hive by Mark Sheeky. Located on Lyceum Square, 2024.

6. Crewe Eagle by Tom Edwards. Located on Lyceum Square, 2023.

7. Crewe Forged by Hand by Jac Seifert of Orakel Workshop. Located on Crewe Bus Station, 2024.

8. Tracks are our Veins by Gareth Williams. Located in Crewe Train Station, 2023.

9. A Celebration of Crewe by Cheshire Buddies with Sue Guildford. Located on Platform 12, Crewe Train Station, 2024.

Latest Art Trail commission completed – ‘Making Crewe’ by Akse P19

The artwork (named ‘Making Crewe’) was completed in March by renowned street artist Akse P19, who based his street art design upon a historic image taken in 1913 of the Iron Bridge and Chester Line that would have been in the same location 112 years ago. The mural has been created on the side of the Crewe Town Council building on Forge Street and is the fourth public art commission for the Crewe Art Trail.

Akse P19 has been painting murals since 1992 and has specialised in photorealistic portraits for the last 15 years.

The Art Trail in numbers:

• Over 90 members of the local community took part in over 30 consultation meetings, interviews and co-design workshops to develop a theme and principles
• 931 people took part in 27 workshops, activities and events throughout the project
• 260 free DIY embroidery kits given to participants for the Stitching Together Project
• 4 new permanent public artworks in Crewe Town Centre commissioned by artists from across the UK
• 177 volunteering opportunities created as part of the project
• 18 art works, projects, displays and exhibitions by local artists and organisations created featuring a diverse range of skills and mediums including sculpture, painting, photography, film, print making, collage, textiles and more!

Get in touch

You can contact us about the Crewe Art Trail and Development Programme here:

The Project Principles

The Project Principles have been identified following on from the consultation process with local community groups and creative contacts:

• Co-Created with Communities – all commissioned activity and artworks will be co-created and/or devised in collaboration with community partners or in response to identified need.
• Celebrate and Nurture Creativity in Crewe by identifying existing artworks and holding space for connection and participation through networking events.
• Creative Confidence and Inspiration – the Arts Development Project and Trail will focus on future generations and the power of creativity to enhance wellbeing, make change and bring people together. Creative engagement and workshops will be embedded within the project and trail development to develop skills, confidence and to demystify creative careers.

• Pride of Place – the project will celebrate Crewe’s unique history and heritage, providing creative inspiration for the town’s prosperity and wellbeing now and in the future.