At New College Worcester (NCW), we are proud of our beautiful city of Worcester – a city our students live in during their school years, and for some, a place that becomes their lifelong home. Alongside its iconic cathedral and scenic river, Worcester is also home to a growing collection of incredible street art.

This year, NCW is delighted to have played a small but important part in a project with Worcester Paint Festival (WPF), helping to make this vibrant art form more accessible to everyone.

Street Art for All

Working in partnership with The Arts Society (TAS) Worcester, Worcester Paint Festival has introduced ten new QR-coded plaques for murals around the city. These plaques provide background information and audio descriptions, helping visitors who may be new to the street art scene to engage more deeply – and, crucially, making the artworks more accessible for people who are blind or partially sighted.

To make this possible, WPF consulted with staff and students at NCW, gaining valuable insight into access needs and how best to design and position the plaques. Our contribution ensured that accessibility and inclusivity were at the heart of the project.

Passionate About Access

Maggie Keeble, Community Arts Lead for The Arts Society Worcester, said:
“We are delighted to support Worcester Paint Festival in this imaginative project. At The Arts Society Worcester we are passionate about encouraging curiosity and broadening access to all forms of art. These QR-coded plaques will help open it up to a wider audience, including people with visual impairments. We are especially pleased that the project has been developed in consultation with New College Worcester, ensuring appropriate audio description is at its heart.”

At NCW, our students also thoroughly enjoyed collaborating with WPF.
Rachael Kings, Art Teacher at NCW, said:
“Our art students loved working together on this collaborative and accessible project in Worcester. They especially enjoyed listening to the descriptions and sharing their own ideas. We can’t wait to experience the tour together as a group.”

Looking Ahead

The plaques will be in place on selected murals in time for this year’s Worcester Paint Festival on September 20th. Visitors can pick up a map of mural locations year-round from Tourist Information on the High Street, WPF HQ in Friary Walk Shopping Centre, or online. Large print maps and accessible PDFs will also be available.

Kate Cox, Director of Worcester Paint Festival, said:
“It’s really important that all people can access murals and culture regardless of any access needs and we hope to learn and grow, so that we can be more inclusive.”

At NCW, we are incredibly proud to have supported this project, which not only celebrates Worcester’s vibrant culture but ensures that art is truly for everyone.

You can find out more about the murals, the artists, and the QR codes via @worcesterpaintfestival.