Hull College students help bring community centre to life as it celebrates 40 years

CREATIVE: Hull College students spent weeks creating an artistic tribute to the Maurice Rawling Community Centre

By Rick Lyon, Co-Editor

Students from Hull College have left their mark on one of the city’s longest-standing community spaces after unveiling a striking new mural and theatre set celebrating the history and people of Bean Street.

Art and design students have spent recent weeks working alongside the Maurice Rawling Community Centre to create an artistic tribute marking its 40th anniversary, blending local heritage with contemporary creativity.

The project invited students to explore the stories of Bean Street and the surrounding neighbourhood, using art to connect generations of local residents and celebrate the area’s identity.

Inspired by artwork created when the centre first opened its doors four decades ago, students have developed a fresh interpretation that reflects both the community’s past and its future.

Supported by local artist and creative practitioner Andy Pea, the students experienced first-hand what it is like to work on a live commission, collaborating with external partners, responding to a professional brief and creating artwork for a public audience.

Andy said the experience had given the group valuable insight into working within the creative industries while strengthening links between young people and the communities around them.

OPPORTUNITY: Alicia Harding was one of the Level 2 Art and Design students who took part in the project

He said: “This has been much more than an art project. It has given students the opportunity to experience what working professionally in the creative industries really looks like - managing deadlines, responding to feedback and collaborating with a range of partners and stakeholders.

“They’ve approached every stage of the project with enthusiasm and professionalism. Seeing them work within the community, creating something with a real purpose and audience, has been fantastic.

“Some students are already keen to continue supporting the centre and becoming involved in future projects, which says a lot about the impact this experience has had on them.”

Level 2 Art and Design student Alicia Harding said the opportunity had helped her develop both creatively and personally.

She said: “Being involved in a real community project has been an amazing experience. I’ve learned so much and developed skills that I didn’t have confidence in before, particularly around lettering and large-scale artwork.

“It’s been really exciting watching the mural evolve and knowing we’re contributing to something that connects with the history of the area.

REWARDING EXPERIENCE: Andy Pea and Gill Adams

“For me, art is about storytelling and expressing ideas and emotions visually, so being able to do that while celebrating local history has made the project really special.”

Alongside the mural, the project has also seen Level 3 Acting students at the college contribute to an immersive theatrical production exploring life in one of Hull’s historic fishing communities.

The Ballad of Bean Street, written by city playwright Gill Adams, tells the story of a local family across the decades following the Second World War and captures the experiences, ambitions and resilience of families who helped shape the area.

The production combines recorded performances from students with live performances from local actors and singers, all set against an atmospheric backdrop designed, built and painted by the college’s Level 2 Art and Design students.

Performances will take place at the Maurice Rawling Community Centre on Thursday, July 2 and Friday, July 3, with both performances beginning at 7.30pm (doors open at 7pm). Tickets are available on a pay-what-you-feel basis, with all proceeds supporting the work of the community centre.

Gill said: “Working alongside both sets of students has been one of the most rewarding and enjoyable creative experiences I’ve had for a long time. Bringing together storytelling, sound and performance created a completely different challenge for them and they embraced it brilliantly.

STRIKING: The new Bean Street mural

“Because the performances rely heavily on audio and voice work, the students had to communicate character, emotion and atmosphere without visual cues. They rose to that challenge and delivered performances that genuinely exceeded expectations.

“What excited me the most was watching the students step into a story and a place they didn’t previously know. They engaged with real community history, and that connection will really come alive when audiences see the finished production. That moment of recognition - when someone in the audience says ‘I remember that’ - is incredibly powerful.

“At its heart, this is a multimedia, promenade-style performance, with audiences positioned around the action. It’s like bringing a Lowry painting to life - full of movement, atmosphere and layered storytelling.

“The students form the core of the narrative, especially the acting students whose storylines link the past and present together. They are the structure that holds everything in place.

“It’s a pay-what-you-can event, which makes it accessible while also helping support the continued work of the centre. Most importantly, the students will be there - and their names will be right at the heart of it. They’ve been amazing throughout.”