Crowdfunding campaign launched to restore beloved St Pauls 'Seven Saints' mural
Posted on: 18 Aug 2021A mural dedicated to Roy Hackett MBE - one of the Seven Saints of St Pauls pieces - has sadly been damaged beyond repair.
A crowdfunding campaign to fully restore one of St Pauls' iconic 'Seven Saints' murals is underway, after the artwork sustained major damage earlier this month.
Dedicated to Roy Hackett MBE, the mural was completed by local artist Michele Curtis in 2015 as part of a broader project commemorating leaders and prominent activists of the St Pauls community.
Now, in response to the damage sustained by the partial collapse of rendering on the side of the mural's building, Curtis is looking to raise a total of £10,000 to complete its restoration.
????CAN YOU HELP?????
— St Pauls Carnival (@StPaulsCRNVL) August 13, 2021
The mural celebrating our beloved Roy Hackett MBE was damaged beyond repair in a terrible accident.
Artist Michele Curtis wants to ensure the mural can be restored and Roy can once again beam down on us!
Find out more: https://t.co/t36249nnFf
A beloved activist, community organiser and member of the Windrush generation, Roy Hackett's story is vital to the history of St Pauls, Bristol and the UK.
In the early 1960s he coordinated the Bristol Bus Boycott alongside fellow Commonwealth Committee members, and he was instrumental in planning the first-ever St Pauls Carnival in 1968.
In 2015 Hackett, alongside fellow activists Hon. Owen Henry, Barbara Dettering, Dolores Campbell, Carmen Beckford MBE, Audley Evans and Clifford Drummond, was immortalised on Byron Street as part of the Seven Saints of St Pauls mural project.
What began as a one-off exhibition has evolved into an interactive digital placemaking project, with an accompanying mobile app allowing users to access a guided Augmented Reality tour of the area.
A timely film from our archive - here’s the incredible Roy Hackett (who’s in his 90s) on a lifetime of fighting against racism.
— BBC Ideas???? (@bbcideas) June 10, 2020
Watch more like this in our Reflections on race playlist: https://t.co/ufFy63Sus4 pic.twitter.com/IVGVDHIbY5
A GoFundMe dedicated to the restoration of the Roy Hackett mural aims to raise a total of £10,000, with close to £2,000 raised at the time of writing.
"The unfortunate damage to his mural is a great loss to the community and city," Michele Curtis explains.
"I hope that with your support to share this go fund me with your network - all donations received we will be able to replace the mural of Mr. Roy Hackett MBE."
To find out more about the crowdfunding campaign, to make a donation or to follow news and updates, head to the Official Roy Hackett Mural Restoration GoFundMe page.
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Editor - 365Bristol.com & LOUD Magazine
Matt is a Journalism graduate and writer, passionate about supporting Bristol music, art and independent business. Get in touch via email at matt@365bristol.com.
