The Mosaic Way was a project funded by a partnership between TWICS (via a grant from the People’s Health Trust Lottery) and SO18 Big Local. 30 residents were involved in creating mosaics on the theme of local nature (supported by experienced community artists), and over 60 mosaic tiles are now installed across the SO18 Big Local area – please note, this project is now complete and there are no more mosaic tiles being made for the Mosaic Way.
After they had made their individual mosaics, the Mosaic Way project members moved on to working on two larger mosaics, with different people worked on separate pieces of the designs. This meant that the project could continue, even with the Covid restrictions. All the separate pieces have been made, and then the tiles brought together to make two large mosaics. These have been installed, one on Townhill Park Community Centre and one by the One Stop on Exford Avenue, Harefield. These two large mosaics were recently unveiled in a small celebration event, to mark the culmination of this project, see below in media coverage for more, including a video.
Participants have really enjoyed being part of the project: “I am proud of the tiles I have completed which are now a permanent part of the Mosaic Way which so many local people enjoy”. “Everyone was very friendly, helpful and encouraging.” “Having a project to do and meeting new people was great – especially through lockdown – found life had a new purpose.”
The Mosaic Way story
Participants of the Mosaic Way have shared their story with us, telling us what being involved in the project has meant to them. This short film covers the project from conception to completion, in the words of the local people involved in making it happen.
Locations
You can see the locations of the installed mosaics on the map below and you can also download lists of all our installed mosaics if you want to take the list out on a walk with you: Mosaic Way Spotter Sheet (May ’22). There is also a list grouped in the order that they were installed, so you can see the newest ones if you’ve been looking for them gradually: Installed mosaics (by date).
Additionally, there are 10 pairs of street signs that now have mosaic images on them as well – spread across the SO18BL area. These are shown on the map as the grey road icons, and included on the Spotter Sheet, but also listed here: List of mosaic road signs – mosaics are also on the 20mph signs along Meggeson Avenue and adjoining roads in Townhill Park, so keep an eye out for them!
Media coverage:
Mosaic Way Celebration, 14th October
“The unveiling of two large mosaics completes the ongoing project that local residents across Townhill Park, Harefield and Midanbury have been involved in over the past two years alongside SO18 Big Local, TWICS and community artists Gillian Jeffery and Will Rosie, Southampton’s very own ‘Mr Mosaic’. The large mosaics being the newest additions to over 60 mosaic tiles, creating a trail around the area and road signs with mosaic images which were painstakingly digitised so they could be transferred with every detail intact.” Read more here: Mosaic Way unveiling or click below to watch a short video of the unveiling.
Read our May 2020 Press Release about the Mosaic Way here.
Our Mosaic Way was also featured on BBC South Today in August 2020 – see the video here:
Read the September SCC Press Release about the Meggeson Avenue works, featuring our mosaic street signs, here: Talented Townhill Park residents help to install public artwork they created during lockdown
