The 3 Counties Connected Wrexham Station Art Project started in April 2023 with the aim of enhancing the appearance of Wrexham railway station to make it more welcoming for the local community and for travellers.
The Project Brief
The Community Rail Partnership will commission a new artwork piece for the waiting room at the station, led by local community artist Sophia Leadill but fully involving local community groups and organisations.
Artwork
The theme for this project will be around ‘Cynefin’ Sense of Place and will capture what Wrexham means to people.
The project will start with a period of community consultation via social media and face to face engagement with groups such as, railway staff, commuters, and community groups.
Wrexham Station Waiting Room
Following this there will be a programme of community drop-in workshops so that everyone can become involved in the creation of this piece of public artwork which will be located in the station waiting room once completed.
The resulting public art aims to be inspiring, innovative, informative, representing the best of Wrexham and what it means to the community.
This will provide a warm welcome to visitors to Wrexham, a sense of what Wrexham has to offer and photo opportunities.
Aims & Objectives
To improve the appearance of the waiting room.
To give the station a sense of place for the passengers on arrival and departure.
To develop relationships with local groups and organisations.
Through a series of field trips and creative workshops, participants from the Wallich, Housing Justice and the Wider Wrexham Community engaged in meaningful discussions about Wrexham, what it means to them, and why. Some of the locations were well-know and others more modest, holding personal memories for the participants who created them.
We held sessions with the Wallich and Housing Justice at their venues and then to open it up to the wider community we held open sessions at Ty Pawb and The Miners Rescue Station.
Through a series of drawing and printmaking workshops participants produced artwork inspired by well-known Wrexham locations and rooted in Cynefin – a sense of place and belonging.
This resulted in the creation of this community artwork for the waiting room, conveying the spirit and history of Wrexham and its people.
Josie Rayworth, Community Rail Officer for the 3 Counties Connected Community Rail Partnership, expressed her enthusiasm for the project saying,
“It’s been inspiring to see the artwork achieved by the participants from the Wallich, Housing Justice, as well as the wider members of the Wrexham community. The waiting room will now give a real insight for passengers that use this space about what makes Wrexham such a special place.”
One of the project participants Carl said,
“I enjoyed trying new art techniques each week and it helped me learn more about places in Wrexham that I didn’t know about before. It was all very interesting and enjoyable.”
Mel Lawton, – Community Rail Strategy Lead, Transport for Wales said,
“For Transport for Wales, it’s important that our stations feel like part of the community, and it’s been fantastic to see this project come to life at Wrexham General. It’s wonderful to see the final artwork and how it showcases what the city has to offer, and what makes Wrexham special to the people who live here.”
The unveiling of the artwork on 29th February, 2024 marks the culmination of weeks of artistic collaboration. The waiting room at Wrexham General Railway Station will be transformed into an exhibition space, where passengers and the local community can appreciate the landmarks of Wrexham.
Celebrating Success and a Lasting Legacy
The Wrexham Station Art Project has left a transformative mark on the community, turning the Wrexham General railway station into a vibrant celebration of local identity and shared memories.
The project has been shortlisted in the prestigious Community Rail Awards 2025 in the Community Creative Projects and Station Arts category – recognising its outstanding contribution to community engagement to promote positivity, connection and inclusion. Read more about the awards here.
The success of the Wrexham Station Art Project has paved the way for similar endeavours. The ‘Memories of Flint’ Community Art Project, launched in 2024, drew from the Wrexham project’s model of community collaboration and artistic display.
Focused on individuals living with dementia, the Flint project involved participants in creating art inspired by local landmarks and personal memories. These works were displayed in the waiting room of Flint railway station, mirroring the transformative approach first implemented in Wrexham.
You can read more about this inspiring project here.