A mural has recently been completed on an empty wall in Bargoed High Street, adding a touch of colour and vibrancy to the town centre.
The wall underneath the Emporium Building was identified as a suitable location for painting, and Andy O’Rourke of Malarky Arts was commissioned by CCBC to create the mural. Andy is a renowned local artist from Newport who has experience of delivering similar artwork across local authorities, including the Riverside Park project under the A472 in Newbridge.
The mural theme highlights the boom in biodiversity on old colliery spoil sites and how that might mirror the regeneration of the town itself. Included on the mural is an extract from the poem “Etifeddiaeth” by Gerallt Lloyd Owen:
“Cawsom wlad i’w chadw,
darn o dir yn dyst
ein bod wedi mynnu byw”
which translates to “We were given a country to keep, a piece of land as proof that we insisted on living.”
This project was supported and funded through the UK Shared Prosperity, Levelling Up (2022/25) Programme, with a focus on, strengthening social fabric, fostering a sense of local pride and belonging, investing in activities that enhance the physical, cultural and social ties, and improving local amenities through community-led projects, creating quality places where people want to live, work, play and learn in, through targeted improvements, supporting local business, people and skills.
Jo Hillier-Raikes, Principal Officer for Town Centres and Business Support, commented:
“We are delighted with the quality of work delivered by Andy, and the positive reaction from the local community has been wonderful. It is anticipated that the artwork will create a sense of pride and encourage visitors to the town centre. Bargoed was chosen as a pilot for the artwork, and we hope to deliver similar schemes in other principal towns under UKSPF funding if suitable locations can be found.”
