Southampton Forward and the University of Southampton deliver an event highlighting  the city’s commitment to making Southampton a proudly inclusive city.   

An event celebrating Southampton’s commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion took place on 10^th June at the University of Southampton’s John Hansard Gallery. Organised by independent charity, Southampton Forward, the SO:Inclusive event brought together partners and stakeholders from across the city to focus on collaborative ways to make a positive change in Southampton.  

The sharing event marked the culmination of a six-month programme where representatives from the city’s voluntary, public, business and charitable sectors came together to explore ways to take collective steps to build the inclusive city that Southampton strives to be. Over the course of the programme, the group learned more about equity, diversity and inclusion and developed a set of  priorities  

Through round-table discussions, attendees suggested  an inclusive charter to provide guidelines on recruitment, inclusive messaging, language, and explore effective ways of valuing the expertise of the city’s diverse communities. This could also feature a statement of inclusion in Southampton developed by young people  

Signing up to the charter will demonstrate  an organisation’s commitment to  build on equity, inclusion and diversity through their operational systems and engagement. 

Delivered in partnership with the University of Southampton, SO:Inclusive (#SOInclusive) is just the start of a network of organisations working collaboratively to share ideas,  best practice and find solutions.  

Claire Whitaker, CEO of Southampton Forward, said: We have been  delighted by everyone’s support and commitment to focus firmly on diversity, equity and inclusion and empowering the young leaders of tomorrow. The energy and time given to this programme by all involved has been invaluable, despite the limited resources and many pulls on people’s availability. Thank you to the SO:Inclusive participants who designed and developed the approach with us and showed us how coming together, challenging the status quo and emphasising accountability will mark the change makers of our city. 

“Special thanks go to guest speakers Pascal Matthias (University of Southampton), Cllr Lorna Fielker (leader of Southampton City Council) and to Amanda Parker who boldly facilitated the six month programme enabling curiosity to thrive and provided the space and openness to challenge.” 

Cultural business strategist Amanda Parker, who builds inclusive change strategies for creative and cultural environments, commented: “When Claire Whitaker invited me to help Southampton Forward and its partner organisations to build on the work started in 2021 and help them to collectively take their next steps to building an inclusive city, I was motivated. 

“From multi-site commercial partners whose business concerns straddle retail and hospitality, to the city’s academic, leisure and cultural and civic leaders, the breadth of partnership suggested to me an exciting opportunity. If these interests were in the one room together the opportunities for making lasting inclusive change would be far-reaching and powerful.  

“It has been fantastic to have representation in the group from the council, from Southampton Football Club, and a collection of incredible expertise drawn from a range of cultural and social enterprises.” She noted that the visibility of organisations’ commitment to what has been started by this project “will narrow the gap between who is in the room in Southampton and who is on the outside looking in.” 

The SO:Inclusive group will meet again in a few months to move forward the action around the Citywide charter. Organisations and individuals who wish to get involved can help shape this next chapter in Southampton’s inclusive journey. For more information follow Southampton Forward on socials or sign up to the mailing list here.  

For further details, please contact: Frankie@leepeckmedia.com  

Hundreds of people came to see the transformation of Westquay’s multi-storey car park into an urban street art gallery over the weekend 

Once again, hundreds of people flocked to Westquay’s Multi-Storey Car Park as it burst into life for this year’s “Multi Stories” event, which took place over the weekend.  

The free event returned to the retail and leisure destination’s car park on Saturday 18^th and Sunday 19^th of May, and saw people travel down from as far as Basingstoke and Brighton to see the bringing together of art, skateboarding and music which transformed the well-known landmark into an urban art gallery.  

New to this year was the Maker’s Market where visitors where able to pick up a one-off creation from local small businesses and crafters. The free art workshops also proved popular, as attendees were given the chance to try a spot of graffiti, life drawing, chalk and tape floor drawing, as well as take part in a community wall design competition.  

Organised by Westquay, in association with Southampton Forward, visitors watched live as more than thirty artists created a series of large and small-scale permanent murals that resonate with the stories of the city and local communities. 

Multi-Stories brought together a huge number of artists with a range of experience and styles, from street artists with international reputations including EPOD, Mr Cenz, Captain Kris, established street artists from Southampton such as Slam, Pogo, Ralf and Ayem, through to new and emerging local artists. 6 art frame commissions were again given to local artists keen to experience live painting at a street art event for the first time, and most of the art frame artists from last year were back, this time painting larger murals in the car park, including Joanna Rose Tidey, Chewy, Olivia Crawley and Edgar Lushaju.  

“Multi-Stories” embraced the spirit of skateboarding and rollerblading with a section of the car park acting as a skate park. We Skate Southampton wowed onlookers with their skills but also offered the opportunity on how to learn new tricks, conquer ramps, and feel the thrill of riding alongside like-minded individuals who share a passion for the board.   

This was all set against a soundtrack curated by Southampton musicians and DJs with a programme spanning genres across 60 years since Southampton became a city and reflecting the overarching theme for 2024 of ‘city life’. Artists included well-known Southampton street artist Slam and other established artists Epod, Mr Cenz and Vane MG. Breakdancers also took full advantage of the fantastic music.  

Sarah Tinsley, Director of Marketing & Placemaking at Hammerson (owner of Westquay) said: ‘It’s been a complete hit. We were incredibly excited to bring back ‘Multi-Stories’ to Westquay following its huge success last year. Collaborating with local artists is just one of the innovative ways we are evolving Westquay from a place where people come only to shop, to a ‘destination’ offering an exciting mix of entertainment, leisure and social experiences. Southampton is bustling with creativity and we’re looking forward to once again championing and providing a platform for local talent”. 

Claire Whitaker CBE, CEO of Southampton Forward, said “It was fantastic to see so many people enjoy the event, both local to the city and people visiting. Collaborating with Westquay is always a pleasure and the art that was produced is a fantastic legacy of the weekend  - we are excited to start planning for next year.” 

Paintshop, a local Creative Studio who blend graffiti art with graphic design, were back for a second year curating the artwork and free art workshops alongside local creative producer Joe Ross. Ricky Also, who is also a born and bred Sotonian, is the Creative Director behind Paintshop and a renowned mural artist.  

Ricky Also said: “The Live painting event was again so well received by the public. It’s a unique opportunity for people to connect with street art, getting under the skin and witness the creative process firsthand.  

“Not only are we transforming ordinary grey urban spaces into vibrant artworks, we also hope to play a part in inspiring the next generation of artists. Growing up in Southampton I know how just much creative potential there is in the city and events like Multi-Stories are exactly what we need’. 

For more details contact Frankie Peck on 07545962356 or email frankie@leepeckmedia.com 

Westquay multi-storey car park set to transform into urban street art gallery for a second time with the return of the Multi-Stories public event this weekend 

Westquay’s Multi-Storey Car Park will be bursting into life once again for this year’s “Multi Stories” event, taking place this weekend. 

The free event will be returning to the retail and leisure destination’s car park on Saturday 18^th and Sunday 19^th of May, and just like last year, it will be bringing together art, skateboarding and music to transform the well-known landmark into an urban art gallery.  

New to this year will be a Maker’s Market where visitors will be able to pick up a one-off creation from local small businesses and crafters. A range of free art workshops are also on offer, including graffiti, life drawing, chalk and tape floor drawing and a community wall design competition.  

Organised by Westquay, in association with Southampton Forward, visitors will be able to watch live as more than thirty artists create a series of large and small-scale permanent murals that resonate with the stories of the city and local communities. 

“Multi-Stories” will again give local people the chance to embrace the spirit of skateboarding and rollerblading with a section of the car park acting as a skate park. Everyone will have the opportunity to join We Skate Southampton as they show onlookers how to learn new tricks, conquer ramps, and feel the thrill of riding alongside like-minded individuals who share a passion for the board. Skateboarding lessons will also be offered, ensuring everyone can experience the exhilaration of the sport. As well as workshops for breakdancing too.  

All this will be set against a soundtrack curated by Southampton musicians and DJs with a programme spanning genres across 60 years since Southampton became a city and reflecting the overarching theme for 2024 of ‘city life’. Artists include well-known Southampton street artist Slam and other established artists Epod, Mr Cenz and Vane MG.  

Sarah Tinsley, Director of Marketing & Placemaking at Hammerson (owner of Westquay) said: ‘We’re excited to be bringing ‘Multi-Stories’ back to Westquay following its huge success last year. Collaborating with local artists is just one of the innovative ways we are evolving Westquay from a place where people come only to shop, to a ‘destination’ offering an exciting mix of entertainment, leisure and social experiences. Southampton is bustling with creativity and we’re looking forward to once again championing and providing a platform for local talent”. 

Claire Whitaker CBE, CEO of Southampton Forward, said “We’re delighted to be collaborating with Westquay again on such an exciting project. We look forward to building on the success of last year and to seeing more of the multi-storey car park transformed with beautiful murals in a range of styles. It’s a fun event for local communities that showcases local talent alongside artists from further afield, and having a lasting impact for public art in Southampton to create a more vibrant city”. 

Paintshop, a local Creative Studio who blend graffiti art with graphic design, are back for the second year curating the artwork and free art workshops alongside local creative producer Joe Ross. Ricky Also, a born and bred Sotonian, is the Creative Director behind Paintshop and a renowned mural artist. Last year in addition to curating the event he also created the large ‘The World is Yours’ mural in collaboration with artists Bonzai and Squirl.  

Ricky Also said: “Paintshop are really happy to be back for the second year working on the ‘Multi-Stories’ project. Live painting events like this offer a unique opportunity for people to connect with street art, getting under the skin and witness the creative process firsthand.  

“Not only are we transforming ordinary grey urban spaces into vibrant artworks, we also hope to play a part in inspiring the next generation of artists. Growing up in Southampton I know how just much creative potential there is in the city and events like Multi-Stories are exactly what we need’. 

Multi-Stories will take place on Saturday 18^th and Sunday 19^th May 12-6pm on Levels 1,2 and 3 of the Westquay Multi-Storey car park. The car park will be open to vehicles as normal. 

For more information visit the Multi-Stories event page  

For more details contact Frankie Peck on 07545962356 or email frankie@leepeckmedia.com