NEW initiatives have been launched to help breathe new energy into Newquay town centre.

Newquay BID and Cornwall Council’s Experience Newquay have unveiled various schemes to enhance the town’s visual appeal and attract more visitors, which include shopfront enhancement grants, vacant shop window signs and street art murals.

An event schedule has also been organised that includes the Zombie Crawl and the new Be Newquay Festival.

The MUQY Street Art Walking Trail is taking shape on Newquay’s high street; the first mural is now complete, proudly displayed on MIX NQY’s wall on East Street.

Led by Jack Tierney from Slapdash Studio and created by talented Cornwall-based artist Kleiner Shames, using ideas generated at a workshop hosted by Youth Art Connect, it captures an abstract beach scene.

Experience Newquay is funding the project, spearheaded by Jack Tierney from Slapdash Studio and Dirk Parker, a BID board member, active Newquay Town Team member and local business owner. Together, they identified the opportunity to use street art to communicate Newquay’s unique heritage and identity and improve the high street.

Dirk Parker said: “This is a project that Jack Tierney and I organised and successfully applied for grant funding from Experience Newquay. It is a multi-stage project that will brighten up the town centre whilst creating a free walking tour that will be hosted on Love Newquay’s website.” 

Two more installations are planned over the coming weeks. Newquay BID is seeking additional walls for next year, with third-party private funding nearly secured. They will continue to actively pursue wider funding opportunities to support the delivery of multiple-stages, extending beyond this initial funding from Experience Newquay. 

Work on the second mural is starting this week, where Elle Koziupa will bring her ‘photo-realism’ style to a wall on Fore Street. It will feature a fisherman, inspired by photographs from Newquay Museum and Archive. Elle, twenty years old, already has an impressive portfolio, working on large-scale mural projects nationally. The mural will be kept under wraps (under scaffolding) until the grand unveiling. 

Louis Gardner, Cornwall Council cabinet portfolio holder for economy and local member for Newquay Central and Pentire, said: “Cornwall Council’s project, Experience Newquay, has brought this initiative to life.

“What started as a seed of an idea in Dirk’s mind during lockdown has become a reality thanks to investment from the project. Experience Newquay is funded via the Good Growth programme and MUQY is the perfect example of how to use creativity to transform the high street. I cannot wait to see the next two murals come to life.”

The third mural from 45 RPM is being painted in November to coincide with the Be Newquay Festival. During the festival, all three murals will be connected as part of a free Street Art Walking trail, hosted on Love Newquay’s website. Additionally, street art workshops and activities will be available for those who want to have a go.

The Be Newquay Festival, designed with the local community at its heart, will feature a variety of events produced by local organisations. The month-long celebration will take place on weekends in November at different venues across the town.

Weekend highlights include Alma Winter Arts Weekend, Groundswell’s Cream of Cornish Weekend, Trenance Cottages’ Trees and Tales, and To The Moon and Back by GRIT Productions. Plus, a whole host of wider workshops and experiences. For more information on the wider programme, please visit the website, which is being updated regularly: www.benewquayfestival.co.uk

The Be Newquay Festival is commissioned by Cornwall Council’s project Experience Newquay and supported by Newquay BID and Visit Newquay. It is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

The project aims to support a resilient year-round visitor economy and highlight Newquay’s unique identity. It provides support in training, cultural curation, marketing, and impact evaluation, aiming to attract both local and national visitors sustainably. With this investment, the festival is set to rejuvenate Newquay’s town centre and support local enterprises.

Anyone who has a suggestion for a wall or a story they think should be told contact BID at [email protected].