Artists and children from schools across Swindon have collaborated to create new murals which can be seen from this weekend.

The murals on new hoarding around the historic Mechanics’ Institute building in Emlyn Square in Railway Village have been created on a number of themes; the past, drama and art, life in the railway village, work and the area’s early days and the future.

Artists went into schools around the borough and spoke to children, getting them to produce art which was then scaled up and painted onto the hoardings. Information boards have been produced and the whole installation will be on view permanently.

The scheme was led and organised by Swindon Borough Council. The cabinet member for culture, heritage, leisure and the town centre Matty Courtliff said he was thrilled by the works.

He said: “The point is to bring a bit of colour and perhaps a bit of pride to the area.

“WE wanted to show the evolution of Swindon in the works   and of course we are working to get the Mechanics back to a working and open building for Swindon.

“We are improving the area of the Railway Village and the heritage Action Zone using money we’ve got from the Towns Fund and this ties in with that to bring a bit of  colour and life.”

One of the themes was arts and culture and the artists who took that theme was Hannah Dosanjh, who worked with children from Lethbridge primary and Even Swindon Primary schools.

Hannah said: “The main scene shows the drama in the theatre in the Mechanics’ even before the play starts. Everyone is in love with everyone else, it’s all 1930s pre-war shenanigans.

“When I went into Lethbridge primary we did some reading and they were very interested in everyone wearing hats, and we talked about why they did and why they don’t know.

“They did some drawings of people in hats and reading books as this was one of the first public libraries in the country.”

Life in the railway village was the theme for Tim Carroll and Kate Parsons and Sally Taylor. Kate and Sally worked with youngsters from Robert Le King and Bridlewood primary schools and got the children to produce art about fun and games in GWR park including the church fetes.

Tim said: “There’s a contrast between people in modern dress sitting in the park and the Victorian schoolchildren watching the acrobat Blondin who is reputed to have performed there.”

Other themes were: health and wellbeing by Caryn Koh, the canal and early days of the railway village by Sean Burke aka Zer0-g; places of work by Max Dawkins and Sue Bardwell; and the future by Paul Exon.

Funding for the work came from Historic England.