‘I see my role as finding a visual way to engage the children’
were blown away by his work. Neil is an incredible artist and a pleasure to work with. We gave him a list of all the elements we hoped to include and he made some preliminary sketches before coming in over the summer holidays to get started. His vision was better than we could ever have imagined, and we are already brainstorming ideas for our next project with him! The children love the finished
mural, which serves as a focal point for the entire school. As pupils progress through the school, they will be able to see how everything they’ve learned in previous years fits together. It enhances the children’s learning experience, provides a way for staff to integrate their teaching and creates a ‘wow’ factor for prospective parents visiting the school. We were even interviewed by the BBC. The PTA considers it money well spent; it ticks all the boxes. Felicity Morris, secretary, St Margaret’s Academy PTA, Torquay (400 pupils)
12 SUMMER 2025 School Fundraising
Artist Neil Wilkinson-Cave explains how school mural commissions work I painted my first school mural some 15 years ago at Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School in Somerset. It showed a dreamlike and sunlit woodland with a young girl climbing up a stairway made of books, towards the light. Next to her was the phrase: ‘You never know where a book may lead.’ I’ve always been an arty type, and when I was young, people kept telling me I should get a creative job. I went travelling and had this idea about making murals; since then, I’ve painted over 200 of them. Most of my work is in the UK, but I also have pieces in holiday homes in Florida, public projects in China and even a mansion in Switzerland. When schools first contact me about a project, they often already have a seed of an idea that I can develop into a suitable design for the allocated space. It’s helpful if they can include photographs of the wall or walls where the mural is to be painted and indicate when they’d like the work done. It’s also useful to know if there is a budget for the project. I offer a generous discount to schools because learning is such
an important part of life. If the school doesn’t yet know what the budget will be, I can provide a ballpark quote. PTAs often raise a significant portion of the funds for a mural through events, donations from businesses and small grants. All my murals are hand-painted. If the school uses the proposed space during the school day, they will need to cordon off the area. Alternatively, I can schedule the work for the school holidays, and I sometimes work at the weekend. If I can park my campervan on site, it can save having to find overnight accommodation and helps cut costs. The duration for painting a mural varies; some take a week, and my longest project took five weeks. At the moment, I am working with
Barton Hill Academy on a mural that highlights successful local individuals. The goal is to provide pupils with role models they can aspire to. Many children are feeling disillusioned right now, and this mural aims to show dreams they can work towards. I see my role as finding a visual way to engage the children, making the subject real and accessible for them.
sacredart-murals.co.uk
The mural at Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School
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