National and local artists have taken to the streets of Ashford to transform blank walls into a sea of colour and creativity for ‘UNFRAMED’, the town’s first mural festival.
The murals are sited around the town centre and are part of the UNFRAMED art trail for local residents and visitors to enjoy.
Curated by street art and mural experts Accent London and The London Mural Company, artists include Ashford’s Mr Doodle.
Download the trail map here or pick up a physical map from Coachworks, Low Key Taproom, Picturehouse or Made in Ashford.
You can also download the Ashford Eggsplorers trail map for younger visitors here.
The mural festival runs from Saturday 1 April to Sunday 16 April, with arts workshops, street dance and film screenings available to all visitors.
List of artists and spaces:
- Ashford College Students – Leah Bunting & Claudia Otto
Planters, Ashford International Station Forecourt TN23 1EZ - The London Mural Company x Accent London
Coachworks Front Windows, Dover Place TN23 1HU - ODISY
Coachworks courtyard*, Dover Place TN23 1HU - Ashford College Students x Accent London
Ashford College Wall, Elwick Road TN23 1NN - Danielle Williamson aka Tinybeegle
Storage container, Vicarage Lane Car Park TN23 1NU - Alex Chinneck
Back of former Odeon Cinema, St Johns Lane TN23 1PS - Charley Peters
Vicarage Lane Car Park, Alleyway St Johns Lane TN23 1PS - Voyder
Side of former Odeon Cinema, St Johns Lane TN23 1PS - Aspire
Vicarage Lane Car Park, Alleyway St Johns Lane TN23 1PS - Ellie Fryer x Komply
55 High Street, TN24 8SQ - Mr Doodle
Edinburgh Road Car Park, Park Street TN24 8LR - Will Redgrove
Pilgrims Hospices, 4 Castle Street TN23 1JQ - Curtis Hylton
Bucksford Law, Bank House, 2a Bank Street TN23 1BX - Andy Welland
Bright City Church, 28 Bank Street TN23 1BA - Hatch
Low Key Taproom*, 39-41 Bank Street TN23 1DQ - Chris Page
Picturehouse Cinema*, Elwick Road TN23 1AE
BONUS MURALS - Will Vibes
2 North Street, TN24 8JN - Melissa Hartley x KARC
52 High Street, TN24 8TA
*trading hours apply
Guided tours
SATURDAY | 08.04.23 | 2-4PM | FREE (booking essential)
Mural Guided Tour by Sophie Stone
Starting venue: Ashford International Station
BOOK HERE
THURSDAY | 13.04.23 | 2-4PM | FREE (booking essential)
Mural Guided Tour by Michele Sheldon
Starting venue: Ashford International Station
BOOK HERE
SATURDAY | 15.04.23 | 2-4PM | FREE (booking essential)
Mural Guided Tour by Sophie Stone
Starting venue: Ashford International Station
BOOK HERE
Creative Workshops
Mini Mural World
Join artist Debz Eastlake at Coachworks to create your own mini Ashford mural world.
Venue: Coachworks, Dover Place, Ashford
- Saturday 8 April, 12-3pm
- Wednesday 12 April, 12-3pm
- Saturday 15 April, 12-3pm
Free Drop In | No Booking Required | Suitable for all ages | 3hr sessions | No Capacity Limit More info here
Make Ur Own Ashford Mural Zine
Create your own super mural fanzine, led by the zine queen herself Zo Zines! Drawing inspiration from the murals around Ashford, you will create your own fanzine using a variety of recycled & donated materials.
Booking Required Via Craftship | Suitable for all ages | 2hr workshop | Capacity 50 | Free
For more information and booking, click here
More
Fish Out of Water – Michaela Cisarikova Dance Company
Venue: Ashford Bandstand, High Street
Fish Out of Water is a fresh, multi-disciplinary, participatory outdoor performance using hip hop dance, sculptures & live, responsive music to explore themes of belonging, otherness, displacement & migrancy with humour & charm. Follow the dancers as they find themselves in a strange new place and help them overcome bizarre, colourful obstacles. By the end of the show, you can help them build a home somewhere new and show them that whatever challenges we face, we are stronger together.
Bandstand | 14.04.23 | 11.30am & 1:15PM | FREE
Sign of the Times – Asher Maze
Fresh from the Folkestone Triennial, Asher Maze will create a street level, thought provoking trail of playful and striking, site specific signs at key spots along the Mural Festival route. Keep your eyes peeled!
Film programme – Picturehouse
Check out Picturehouse Ashford’s website for their specialist film programme called “Ashford Arts” which is running throughout the festival.
They will be showing:
Charlotte (12A) – Saturday 8 April and Saturday 15 April – BOOK HERE
Mr Turner (12A) – Wednesday 12 April and Sunday 16 April – BOOK HERE
The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (12A) – Sunday 9 April and Thursday 13 April – BOOK HERE
Tickets for these showings are £8 (adult) and £5 (child).
You can keep up with all the latest updates as they happen and watch the progress of the artwork being created by following @ashfordunframed on Instagram.