NEW VISUALITY
CITY OF YORK COUNCIL WARD FUNDED
D D L L E E I I F F T T S ES WE W Y Y T T I I V V I I T T A A E RE CR C 3 weeks of arty fun
finding beauty in local areas “3 weeks of Westfield creativity. Phew! The Westfield Art Trails began at The Knoll, where young people set off with cameras, sketchbooks and a picnic basket filled with Bluebird Bakery treats. Along the way, we explored familiar places, discovered new details and found fresh creative inspiration close to home. We visited as Professional Artists Westfield Primary School and look forward to two more visits in September and October.” Greg McGee, Director
chesney fields Exploring the green space
First Impressions
Making pals
Art Trail
Rebranding the Art
HIGH ART AT LOWFIELDS
“I live here. I spoke to a few people around Lowfield and most seemed really positive about the new housing. People liked the idea of it feeling more like a proper neighbourhood, with shared outdoor spaces, fewer cars and homes that are designed to use less energy. There’s also a lot of love for the foxes that come out at night! ” Daragh, Westfield resident
“We all spent the afternoon taking photos, working together on a collage, and talking to neighbours. It was great!” Daragh
ART ACTIVITIES AT OUR LADY’S PARISH HALL, WESTFIELD
2026 Working with local teenagers gave us a chance to bring together Westfield ward’s priorities and the school’s values of Care, Respect, Success and Ambition in one collaborative creative project. We focused on making art accessible, giving young people a positive space to work together, share ideas and feel part of their community. The project supported health and wellbeing by encouraging creativity, conversation and confidence, while also helping to reduce social isolation by bringing pupils together around a shared goal. We explored what young people valued about Westfield, how they could look after their local environment, and how art could be used to celebrate the area and communicate positive messages. Every pupil in the school was invited to contribute a drawing, idea or visual response. These individual pieces were then brought together into one large poster, ensuring that every pupil was represented. The finished artwork became a celebration of the whole school community: hundreds of different ideas combined into one image, demonstrating care for one another, respect for different voices, pride in achievement and ambition for Westfield’s future.
SCHOOL VALUES / WARD PRIROITIES
NEW VISUALITY
Westfield Primary opened its doors to Greg and his team, bringing together the ward’s priorities with the school’s values through shared creative activity. The sessions supported access to activities for young people, social connection and health and wellbeing, while Care and Respect encouraged pupils to listen, share ideas and work together. As Mr James Griffiths observed, “The children responded well to Greg’s demonstrations, their own skills are improving all the time.” The project also explored the local environment and what made Westfield a positive place to grow up. Pupils contributed drawings and ideas which were combined into one large collaborative poster, featuring at least one piece from every child in the school. The finished artwork reflected Success and Ambition, showing how individual creativity could come together to celebrate the school, its pupils and the wider Westfield community.
WESTFIELD WARD
2026
NEW VISUALITY
WESTFIELD WARD FUNDING
WESTFIELD ART TRAIL The new Art Trails Around Westfield gave local teenagers a fresh way to celebrate their neighbourhood while discovering the people, places and stories that made the area special. Established as a twice-weekly programme, the trails took young people out into the community and encouraged them to notice familiar landmarks with new eyes. Sessions explored Chesney Fields, the Knoll, Bachelor Hill, Lowfields and Our Lady’s Church Hall, with each stop offering opportunities for conversation, drawing, photography and reflection. Alongside the walks, the project focused on sharing local good-news stories, helping young people build a more positive picture of Westfield and the wider city. One inspiring talking point was the recent exhibition by Westfield artist Glen Jackson in York city centre, which showed participants that creativity from their own community could reach new audiences and be proudly celebrated.
The relaxed outdoor nature of the sessions helped make the trails feel different from ordinary lessons and gave teenagers time to talk openly, move around and enjoy being together. Matteo summed up the mood perfectly when he said, “They were so relaxed and it was outside, so we could kick a ball around or just relax in the sun whilst we talked about the area. It was the complete opposite of school. I love being outside, we saw cows, rabbits, even foxes.” His words captured exactly why the Art Trails worked so well: they combined creativity, conversation and local pride in a way that felt natural and enjoyable. By visiting familiar spaces and seeing them as places worth noticing, discussing and celebrating, the group developed a stronger connection to Westfield. The trails did not just take young people for a walk; they helped them recognise the value, beauty and potential already on their own doorstep. They also showed that local stories, green spaces and shared experiences could inspire confidence, curiosity and a stronger sense of belonging. “I had no idea that there was this like massive field 4 minutes walk from my house!” joked Grace about the Knoll, “and now I know I will definitely be back.”
“We love working around Westfield ward and with the people. We took residents to Bar Convent and York College. We’re very grateful to the ward councillors for funding us to reach as many residents as possible.” Ails McGee
THE LORD MAYOR YORK CAME AND VIEWED OUR ‘WESTFIELD WILDLIFE’ EXHIBITION AT YORK COLLEGE
"Creative people are the future of Westfield. It was an honour to collaborate with communal artworks and feel the creativity in the room."Lord Mayor of York
“The Westfield Art Trail took place over 3 weeks. We had a picnic at Bachelor’s Hill and finished off with treats around Acomb Front Street. A lot of people made life long friends!” Greg McGee