Exhibitions
Made in Hartlepool
Hartlepool Mural Festival
Dates
Saturday 28th June – Saturday 6th September
Price
Free Entry
Venue
Hartlepool Art Gallery
Get ready to be inspired by Hartlepool Mural Festival! Watch as our community spaces come alive with breathtaking murals created by talented artists, and dive into the vibrant world of street art brought indoors at Hartlepool Art Gallery.
About the Festival
Hartlepool Mural Festival 2025 is a bold new project bringing large-scale, artist-led murals to the heart of the town. Launching with an exhibition at Hartlepool Art Gallery by lead artist Lewis Hobson, the festival places creativity at the centre of everyday spaces — transforming streets, walls, and buildings into open-air canvases that reflect the stories and spirit of Hartlepool.
Rooted in collaboration and community, the festival celebrates the town’s identity through bold design, public participation, and meaningful engagement with place.
Who’s Involved
The festival is led by renowned muralist Lewis Hobson, known for his striking use of place-based storytelling. Hobson is mentoring emerging artists and partnering with a local group to co-create a mural:
- Northern School of Art
- Hartlepool Rovers
- Throston Youth Project
- Thrive Teesside
Together, they’re exploring themes of heritage, community, and belonging through research, workshops, and design.
Workshops So Far
The creative process is already underway, with workshops and archive visits helping shape the murals:
- At Hartlepool Rovers, younger members took part in creative sessions, while others visited the town’s archives to explore material from the Robert Wood Collection — a fascinating archive of local industry, clubs, and working-class life.
- Throston Youth Project has held two workshops: one on-site at the future mural location and another at the archives, sparking conversations about place and identity.
- Students from the Northern School of Art have also begun their research at the archives, engaging with historic material to inspire their design ideas.
What’s Next
Over the coming months, each group will develop and paint their mural alongside their artist mentor. The festival will culminate in a series of public artworks that invite everyone to see Hartlepool differently — through creativity, shared history, and pride of place.
Keep checking back for updates, behind-the-scenes images, and mural locations as the project unfolds.
The Robert Wood Collection
Many of the mural designs are being shaped by research into the Robert Wood Collection, a remarkable archive held by Hartlepool Museums. Collected by local historian Robert Wood, it includes printed material and ephemera relating to Hartlepool’s industrial and social life — from shipbuilding and mining to local clubs, events, and working-class leisure. The collection offers a vivid picture of the town’s past, grounding the murals in the everyday stories and heritage that make Hartlepool unique.
Explore a map of Lewis Hobson’s murals across the North East and beyond, showcasing his vibrant public artworks that inspire the Hartlepool Mural Festival.
Click here to view
Funded by Tees Valley Museums Group