Larne mermaid mural to help town’s Covid recovery

The mural, the first in a series to be created across Mid and East Antrim, has been delivered by a visiting Belgian artist, at Woodsides Department Store, Point Street in Larne.

Iota is a fine artist and muralist from Brussels, Belgium. Iota completed the Larne work while visiting Belfast to take part in the ‘Hit the North’ Street Art Festival.

The mural is influenced by the myth of Larne’s very own little mermaid story. Her name was Liban and she was caught in nets in Larne Lough, according to the tale. The piece also links in with council’s tourism brand ‘Shaped by Sea and Stone’, which showcases an area that has been shaped by its coastline, landscape and its people.

Additional murals are set to appear throughout the borough in the coming months.

The eye-catching artwork is designed to bring a splash of colour to town centres and reflect the area’s illustrious history and heritage.

The project is part of a Covid-19 Recovery Revitalisation Programme, funded by the Department for Communities (DfC), Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), and the Department for Infrastructure (DfI), and administered by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council.

One of the primary objectives of this programme is to revitalise town centres in order to make them more attractive to shoppers, with an aim of increasing footfall and boosting sales in our businesses following the impact of Covid-19 on town centres.

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Cllr William McCaughey, said: “Our town centres are changing and, as demonstrated throughout the outbreak of Covid, we are determined to do all we can to support our businesses following the horrendous effects of the pandemic.

“We have fabulous retail and hospitality offerings in Mid and East Antrim, which appeal to residents and visitors alike.

“We want them all to have a great experience when out and about in our towns, and that’s why we are delivering a wide range of projects and initiatives, including the new street art.

“The murals are intended to boost town centres and make them more welcoming to visitors. They are to be symbolically linked through a recurring design motif, theme, material or concept in a way that connects the pieces across the three towns, reflecting the distinctive heritage and character of each location.”

Leading creative consultants Daisy Chain Inc were procured by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council to deliver the public art project.

The Mayor added: “We will be keeping our residents updated on the next locations and I would encourage everybody to follow our social media channels for the very latest information.”

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