Arts trail in shops puts Waterlooville on the map

(Left to right) Tamzin Allen (15), Billy Green (16), with estate agent Tina Othlen and organisers Jackie Buckley and Pauline Corrigan

Fourteen businesses have each teamed up with a local school in Waterlooville to put up young people’s artwork in their shop windows.

And it has had a transformational effect on the town centre, brightening it up and getting people chatting about art.

Waterlooville Events Team, a community group working to promote the town, has produced an arts trail map so shoppers can find their way around.

Tamzin Allen, 15, and Billy Green, 16, both from Crookhorn College, were proud of their artwork, which is on display at Coffeeville in the precinct.

Tamzin said: ‘For my painting I used lots of different effects with different paints to make a girl look like she is underwater.

‘It took me about three weeks.’

About having shoppers looking up at her work, she said: ‘I’m kind of in shock.

‘I never thought my artwork was that good. Now it’s on display and people like it, it makes me happy.’

Billy said: ‘I drew a face and I did some patterns and painting around the eyes.

‘It makes me happy that it’s up there and that people can see it.’

Their art teacher Rob Galbraith added: ‘Anything that gets the school’s artwork out there is amazing.’

David East, who owns Coffeeville, said: ‘It’s a fantastic idea.

‘It brightens the place up and keeps things interesting.’

The arts trail includes estate agents, opticians, greengrocers, chemists, supermarkets, travel shops, and the library and church.

Maps are available from the shops in Waterlooville.

Jackie Buckley, chairwoman of Waterlooville Events, said: ‘It’s a great way of bringing people together.

‘It’s going to help the town centre and we hope it will increase footfall.

‘It’s the first time we have done it and I think it looks fabulous.

‘The schools have got into it in a big way.

‘The businesses, including bigger ones like Boots, have entered into the spirit of it.’

She added: ‘It could become a regular thing. One of the reasons for doing this is to put Waterlooville on the map and show off the local talent.’

Participating schools are Springwood, Padnell Junior and Infant, Mill Hill, Crookhorn, Queens Inclosure, Morelands, Berewood, Purbrook Junior and Infant, St Peters, Cowplain, Denmead Infant, and Rachel Madocks.