Anyone using the subway adjacent to Sandown Station over the past few weeks will have noticed a stunning transformation – from dank and dingy to uplifting and colourful – it is one of three youth-led placemaking projects based at the Station, celebrated in an exhibition at Quay Arts throughout May.
‘Back on Track’, the exhibition on the Cafe Wall, celebrates the placemaking work at Sandown Station of three groups of young people – from the Youth Justice Service, Lionheart School and Bay Youth Project – led by Artswork as part of its Young Cultural Changemaker programme.
Their interventions, in and around Sandown Station, are a response to concerns expressed by children and young people that the space can feel unwelcoming and unsafe. They wanted to make a positive difference.
‘Light at the End of the Tunnel’
Children from the Youth Justice Service worked with Community Murals Isle of Wight to design the mural for the subway at Los Altos – a space that was generally felt to be gloomy and unwelcoming. They were interested in the way nature moves along the railway and wanted to convey a message of positivity, developing the theme of ‘Light at the End of the Tunnel’.
As one of the children participating in the transformation put it,
“I think a mural in the subway will really help. People won’t want to graffiti if there’s lots of pattern.”
Platform art to capture Island railway history
In addition to the mural, students from the Lionheart School have worked with artist Jo Kori to develop a 3-D design for the platform at Sandown Station, due for installation later this month.
They were interested in capturing the history of train travel on the Isle of Wight, as well as a positive potential future for the station and the people who use it.
Bay Youth Project documents the station through photography and podcasts
Conversations with young people at the Bay Youth project were the impetus behind all the youth-led work at Sandown Station – they said they found it unwelcoming and unfriendly and subject to antisocial behaviour.
Their role in the project has been to document the station and how it is viewed and used and they chose to do this through photography, working with Trudie Wilson, and podcasts, with Jake Richardson. Around 40 of their photographs and snippets of their podcasts feature in the exhibition.
Rainford: Immensely proud of all the young people involved
Peta Rainford, placemaking creative producer at Artswork said,
“It’s great to see all three projects come together on the Cafe Wall at Quay Arts. I am immensely proud of all the young people involved.
“Although the three groups worked separately, they shared the aim of addressing concerns around antisocial behaviour and safety, increasing the sense of community ownership, and making the station a more welcoming space.
“The projects, which also celebrate 200 years of rail travel, are funded by South Western Railway CCIF, Arts Council England and Isle of Wight Community Rail Partnership CiC.
“The projects have also been supported by other partners including Island Line, Island Roads, Southern Vectis, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, Sandown Library and the Briars Guest House.
Exhibition runs at Quay Arts throughout May
‘Back on Track’ runs at Quay Arts until Saturday 6th June 2026.
News shared by Peta, in her own words. Ed
