Interactive Art Trail which brightens up the city’s streets.
First launched in Leicester by BID Leicester and design agency Arch Creative in 2019, this unique interactive art trail has travelled the UK, transforming some towns and cities streets with vibrant artworks and immersive storytelling.
Now, Street Stories returns to where it all began – refreshed and reimagined with eight artworks featured on the windows of vacant units.
This project, which has been jointly funded by BID Leicester and Leicester City Council, re-activates parts of the original trail and introduces some brand-new pieces including three exciting new commissions by local artists:
Sam Grubb: Leicester-based illustrator, graphic designer, and spray-can artist known for his bold, playful characters. For Street Stories, Sam has created four brand-new figures inspired by the city’s dynamic street art scene. For the first time ever, his characters have been brought to life with animations, voices, and sound effects, giving visitors a truly interactive experience.
Clare Fazackerley: Local painter and senior art consultant, Clare brings Leicester’s comedy heritage to life in Leicester Comedy Foxtival. Her two paintings capture the city’s humour through the eyes of its foxes – one performing on stage at The Real Ale Classroom, while the others are in the audience, soaking up the laughs.
Matthew Turner: An artist whose work fuses science, space exploration, and fine art. Matt’s pieces for the trail celebrate Leicester’s pioneering role in space research, inspired by Space Park Leicester, the University of Leicester’s Space Lab, and NASA innovation.
These artists are joined by five artists from the original trail – Tim Fowler, Sarah Kirby, George Sfougaras, Lucy Stevens and Christina Wigmore.
Visitors can access the stories behind each artwork through QR codes placed on the artworks. Scanning these unlocks animations that bring the art to life.
Simon Jenner, Director of BID Leicester, said:
“Street Stories began life right here in Leicester, so to see it travel to other towns and cities and then return home is incredibly special. Seven out of the original eight units from the original project were let to new businesses, which is one of the primary objectives. This city has a fantastic creative energy with many talented local artists, and the Street Stories trail is a brilliant way to showcase that scene to locals and visitors alike.”
Sarah Harrison, City Centre Director of Leicester City Council, said:
“Leicester City Council is proud to be working in partnership with BID Leicester to set a new standard for the presentation of vacant units in the city centre.
Enhancing the appearance of these spaces not only improves the look and feel of the area, but also helps create a more attractive environment while new occupiers are being sought. Initiatives like the Street Stories trail are a fantastic way to celebrate Leicester’s rich heritage and culture, while also providing a platform for talented local artists to showcase their work.”
Joe Nixon, Creative Director at Arch Creative and co-creator of Street Stories, said:
“When we first launched Street Stories in Leicester a few years ago, we couldn’t have imagined the journey it would take to Colchester, Wolverhampton, Stirling in Scotland and now coming full circle back to Leicester. We’re currently in talks with some other places, so while this project feels like the next chapter, we’re hoping that Street Stories will be on its way to some other towns and cities soon.”
The Leicester Street Stories trail launched on Monday 15th September inviting locals and visitors to rediscover the city through the eyes of its artists and storytellers.
The Street Stories trail can be found on the new ‘My Leicester’ app which is free to download:
https://bidleicester.co.uk/myleicesterapp/
You can view the animations and find all the locations on the Leicester 2 Trail Page.
“WOW! This is seriously cool! I’ve neverseen my work like this.
I really love it.
So cool seeing them brought to life.
Seriously awesome work.”
Sam Grubb (Artist)
