Hull College students create poignant mural in memory of Triple Trawler Tragedy

COLOURFUL TRIBUTE: The mural at Maurice Rawlings Community Centre

By Simon Bristow

One of the darkest periods in the history of Hull’s fishing industry has been commemorated in a colourful community mural by students from Hull College.

Working with city artist Andy Pea, Level 2 Art & Design students designed and painted the panoramic mural depicting the Triple Trawler Tragedy of 1968 on the exterior of the Maurice Rawlings Community Centre in Bean Street.

And with an indication of how much the artwork resonates with that part of west Hull, a passer-by who lost a relative on one of the trawlers came back with a poem, which was stencilled onto the wall as part of the project.

LOST: The poem written by a passer-by

The mural is part of the Maritime City project the students have been working on, which was devised by Course Leader Sarah Rounding.

Students Millissa Stephenson, 20, Lucy Richardson, 19, Kinga Witkowska, 17, and Nicole Pow, 16, were among those who attended the unveiling on Wednesday.

Asked how they felt on seeing it on show for the first time, they said in unison: “Very proud.”

They also said the project had deepened their understanding of Hull and its maritime past.

PROUD: Hull College students, from left, Kinga Witkowska, Lucy Richardson, Millissa Stephenson, and Nicole Pow

“I live in Hull so it’s my back story,” said Lucy. “I know people from the fishing industry so it’s just my thing, it’s what I’ve grown up with.”

Kinga said: “I feel I’ve got to know Hull on a deeper basis because I’m from Poland. I’ve got to know the background of it and the story of it.” She added: “I’m really proud of it, to see it finished.”

Millissa: “I’ve lived here all my life and it’s nice to find out more information about Hull. I used to go to the Maritime Museum a lot because I like finding out about new things.”

Explaining her role, Nicole said: “I had to design it on a piece of paper and sketch it up on the wall itself and painted the base coat and the colours.”

As well as demonstrating their practical skills, the project has also assisted their personal development.

“I’m really proud of myself, mentally and physically, because I don’t normally work in a team, I get really anxious,” Kinga said. “I felt free because it was OK to make a mistake.”

Millissa said: “It built my confidence and I’ve got an outlook on what it gives to the community, which is nice.”

‘THE MOST FUN I’VE HAD PAINTING’: Artist Andy Pea, left, with Course Leader Sarah Rounding

Andy said: “We got them here about two weeks ago and smashed it in three days. It was the most fun I’ve had painting. The kids came up with the ideas and I just showed them how to blow everything up and mix the paints. It was a fantastic experience.

“I’m really keen on building this relationship with the college.

“It’s been lovely just to see them unload their burdens – the shackles dropped and they really got into painting – and giving them that chance to express themselves on a grand scale. They’ve been absolutely lovely, each and every one of them, and a credit to the college.”

Sarah said the work was inspired by the Hull Maritime project, which is seeing the creation of new visitor attractions around the college, including the refurbishment of Queens Gardens and North End Shipyard, which will be the new home of historic former trawler Arctic Corsair.

Sarah said she was “passionate” about Hull’s history and had made it an immersive learning experience by showing old Pathe News reels about trawlers, and playing sea shanties to the students.

TEAM: From left, PGCE student Alice Godber, Andy Pea, Learning Support Assistant Leonie Bradburn, and Sarah Rounding

She said: “It’s amazing. I nearly cried the first day, to see the progress they were making and the understanding they have got doing the project and then taking it outside to the community, and collaborating together.

“Often they work quite individually, but here they were working alongside each other, coming up with ideas on the spot and problem-solving.”

Other maritime-themed artworks are planned for the walls of the centre, including a tribute to the Headscarf Revolutionaries – so it really is a case of watch this space.

A total of 58 fishermen died in the Triple Trawler Tragedy when the trawlers St Romanus, Kingston Peridot and Ross Cleveland were lost in the space of less than a month.