Local Sussex Artist Unveils Uplifting Street Art Mural
LOCAL SUSSEX ARTIST UNVEILS UPLIFTING STREET ART MURAL
Photo of artists who created the Saltdean Tunnels Mural. July 2020, photo by Karen Clark. Left to right: Brighton based artist REQ, S.o.S Sarah Gillings.
About ‘S.o.S’ Sarah Gillings MA, Inclusive Arts Practitioner & Artist
S.o.S aka Sarah Gillings is an award-winning East Sussex Inclusive Arts Practitioner (IAP). With an industry background working in fashion and product design, including projects for Disney, Sarah specialises in live performative arts and street-art based participatory events. Sarah’s accolades include being awarded the 1011th Points of Light 2018 by Lady Theresa May, and receiving the Brightspark Award 2015 from The University of Brighton.
Sarah is passionate about art for social change and aims to engage the disengaged through her interventions and enjoys reflective and collaborative approaches to art-making practices. Her renowned works include her Alice in Wonderland mural about Female Genital Mutilation in The Banksy Tunnel at Femme Fierce in 2015, which has since been replicated in Vienna, and works at the Brighthelm Gardens and Saltdean Tunnels. Recent works are centred around regenerating unsafe and unloved public spaces.
Prior to her Master’s program at the University of Brighton, Sarah has curated several exhibitions including Brighton’s 13 Women and Artists Open Houses, and now takes part in many festivals and cultural events to create meaningful dialogue which includes the whole community.
As the CIO Founder of U CAN SPRAY, a charity who creates fully inclusive arts experiences to positively impact individuals and communities, Sarah works with community groups and young people, as well as in therapeutic capacities to positively re-engage people through the power of street art.
For mural commission inquiries please contact Sarah Gillings on info@iamsos.com
Useful links:
‘S.o.S’ Sarah Gillings: www.iamsos.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/artivistsos
Instagram: www.instagram.com/streetartsos/
To find out more about U CAN SPRAY – The UK’s first street art charity visit https://info962414.wixsite.com/ucanspray
About Saltdean Tunnels Mural – July 2020
The Saltdean community, led by local resident David Wilson and Bridget Fishleigh, Brighton & Hove's only independent councillor, set up a crowdfunding page to raise the money for a phased regeneration project that included adding a vibrant mural to the tunnels, a new welcome sign, and refurbishing the railings and walls. Residents and supporters volunteered to revive the area and bought commemorative bricks engraved with their names or special memories to be displayed in the tunnel. The tunnel murals were completed during the Covid-19 pandemic and unveiled to the Saltdean community in July 2020.
Award-winning Sussex street artist creates nature-themed mural giving life back to Saltdean’s neglected WC’s
WC’s spray paint mural unveiling marks next step in Saltdean’s crowdfunded community regeneration
Artistic charity founder sets to change perceptions of spray paint street art
Mural selfies encouraged!
Well known for her mural in the Brighthelm Gardens and social change art in The Banksy Tunnel, ‘S.o.S’ aka Sarah Gillings creates art that makes a difference. As an award-winning Sussex artist, Sarah has unveiled a brand-new nature-themed mural.
The neglected WC toilet block adjacent to the Saltdean tunnels was in desperate need of energizing and Sarah was commissioned to bring it back to life in the areas second phase of community funded regeneration led by local resident David Wilson and Bridget Fishleigh, Brighton & Hove's only independent councillor. As people need to experience the outdoors more and more, emphasis has been focussed into creating inspiring and uplifting art.
As one of the artists commissioned by the Saltdean community for the fun and engaging mural in the Saltdean Tunnels earlier this year, along with fellow Brighton artist REQ, Sarah understands the benefit that public art can have on a community. The Saltdean Tunnels mural is a 3600 immersive experience that reflects the wealth of marine life on the region’s doorstep, including dolphins and seals. The mural has brought joy and hope to residents and visitors during these uncertain and frightening times.
Photo by Karen Clark
Sarah, aka ‘S.o.S’, first creates a digital vision of the mural, bringing in elements of the local area. Many of the species featured in Sarah’s work are endemic to Saltdean and need protection. This latest mural features 2 giant lifelike butterflies, bees, and a snail as well as local coastal flowers. The mural is then spray painted freehand by Sarah and her new apprentice Zara, who is learning the skills of public mural art from Sarah. Layers of weatherproof paint are gradually built up to give the vibrant and uplifting mural depth. It is then completed with a graffiti-proof wipe-clean covering.
The Saltdean WC’s mural painting was carried out whilst adhering to social distancing from the public and to health and safety guidelines.
Working with spray paint often brings its own challenges. The wind and rain we have experienced recently have hampered progress. Street art in Brighton, and surrounding areas, has been very much under discussion lately as it is often associated with antisocial graffiti, tagging and throw-ups. This is a perception that Sarah is working to change through her charity U CAN SPRAY – the UK’s first street art charity. U CAN SPRAY works with community groups and young people, as well as in prisons to positively re-engage people through the power of street art.
Photo by Karen Clark
Sarah Gillings aka ‘S.o.S’, mural artist, said:
“Yet again the local residents of Saltdean show us that when you want to get something done – fund it collectively! I am so proud that my latest work created is bringing such joy to the people passing by. Some of the comments just keep me quite warm and fuzzy while I’m painting in the windy elements! The local area on the cliffs has a wealth of wildlife and seeing small creatures in huge proportions, I hope, will help us consider the environment more.”
Bridget Fishleigh, independent councillor for Brighton & Hove, said:
“Sprucing up Saltdean seafront has been a real community effort. Thank you to everyone who contributed financially and rolled up their sleeves and got stuck in.”
Comments from those following the mural progress on social media have been so encouraging, such as:
“This is incredible. Hooray for Saltdean heroes!” and “it looks great as you come over hill since it’s so bright.” The Brighton Dolphin Project also commented: “We love, love, love your work. Amazing job!”
The Saltdean WC mural is now available for all to see, leaving a legacy on Saltdean seafront for the community.
If you are taking a walk along Saltdean seafront front, be sure to visit the tunnels and WC’s. Sarah would love to see your selfies with the murals and you can tag her using @streetartsos and #SaltdeanTunnelMural.
Photo by Karen Clark