Large mural of Rochdale transforms corridor wall at St Vincent's

Date published: 24 January 2022

St Vincent’s Primary School has had one of the school's walls transformed into a mural of Rochdale.

The Norden school was visited by artist Dave Gee – AKA Dave Draws – on 13 and 14 January where he created a signature map of Rochdale on the main corridor wall.

Students and teachers alike have been left “very impressed” with the result, which includes Rochdale’s most recognisable locations, such as the town hall, Gracie Fields Theatre, Pioneers Museum and the Crown Oil Arena.

Jane Short, School Business Manager, said the idea for the commission came about after one teacher spotted Dave’s artwork on Instagram.

She added: “The children think it’s marvellous. There are five stickmen for them to try and locate and they like seeing the local landmarks. They've been excited to explore the mural and have been able to recognise and talk about many of the places around our local area.”

Dave works in Manchester and describes himself as a freelance illustrator, mural artist and serial map doodler.

Dave works from AWOL Studios, Ancoats, but has travelled across Europe, Hong Kong and the US for his large-scale wall murals.

His trademark is his doodle maps that combine his unique doodle style with cartoonish illustrations creating a map of a city.