From the Earth to the Stars Art Trail

Cheshire West and Chester Council has developed an arts trail in Winsford with local schools and groups in a celebration of the town and local community.

From the Earth to the Stars will launch on 21 June, when residents and visitors will be invited to explore the art trail, find the artworks and take part in exciting creative workshops in the town centre.

Artists have been working with children and young people from local schools and groups over the Spring to create new artworks that celebrate Winsford. The artworks, that include film, animation, sculpture, sound pieces, text art, shadow puppets and installations have all been inspired by the town’s past histories, present stories and its future possibilities.

The art trail was designed to engage local school pupils, groups and communities with the changing high street. The artworks can be found within the newly created public realm, from the town centre subway to Winsford Library and into Winsford Cross Shopping Centre and will be exhibited until the end of September 2025.

The artists, schools and groups who have created the artworks include:

Artist Dave Bixter has been working with Year 9 pupils from Oaklands School. Inspired by archive photographs depicting Winsford’s salt mines and the various hand tools and machinery used by the miners, the pupils have made a series of soundboxes, decorated with prints of the salt mines. They used the soundboxes to create an imagined soundscape of the salt mines, with melodies inspired by their journeys to and from Winsford. The artwork will be installed in Winsford Library.

Laura-Kate Draws is working with Year 3 pupils from Winsford High Street Community Primary and Nursery School. The pupils have created drawings, paintings, typography, and patterns that celebrate Winsford's past, present, and future. Their inspiration comes from the local architecture surrounding the school, photographs from the archives, and the town's green and blue spaces, including the River Weaver, the Flashes, parks, and surrounding countryside. These artworks, and more, created by the pupils will become part of a new artwork in the Town Centre subway, that shares different views and stories of the town.

Lucy Niemczyk has been working with Year 1 and Year 5 pupils from St Chad's CE Primary School to tell the stories they choose about Winsford’s past, present and future. Lucy and the pupils recreated stories from Winsford’s past, present, and imagined future using shadow puppetry.The stories inspired a sculptural installation in Winsford Cross Shopping Centre and a film of the pupils' shadow puppet performance.

Mark Haig, Gizmobots, has been working with Year 4 pupils from Darnhall Primary School; and New Images Youth Club  and with children and young people who are Home Educated. During a series of workshops, they have used found and recycled materials to build a family of four robots, who will stride through the town centre.

Caroline Daly has worked with Year 3 and 4 pupils at Over St John’s C.E. Primary School. Inspired by the children’s hopes for the future, Caroline and the pupils imagined a rocket landing in Winsford, transporting our family of robots to the town…They created unique designs for the rocket, by exploring what the sights, sounds, smells and tastes might be in an eco-friendly future town

Neuza Morais worked with Year 2 pupils from Willow Wood Primary School.

Inspired by the transformational effects of colour and storytelling, Neuza and the pupils have co-created an installation that will drench the entrance to the shopping centre with vibrant colour.

Joe Edwards has been working with Cine Window Winsford Film Club and The Junction Club, provided by Winsford Youth and Community Forum to co-create and produce a new film that explores and celebrates the places and spaces of Winsford. The new film will be shown on the first floor of Winsford Library.