Hidden Stories of Westgate Voices
- Client: Historic England & Wakefield Council
- Areas: Community Engagement Local Heritage
- Credits:
The Westgate area is rich with industrial heritage, architecture and local tales. Commissioned by Historic England and Wakefield Council, as part of the Upper Westgate Heritage Action Zone, I created a series of twenty-two artworks exploring the Hidden Stories of Westgate Voices.
Inspired by public engagement sessions and research undertaken by Wakefield’s Historical Society and Civic Society, my illustrations aim to embody the identity and history of Westgate through the stories of its community. A thriving cooperative, a theatre full of costumes, an escaped bear or a famous local band: all are snippets of stories and details celebrating Westgate’s rich past.
Westgate’s grade-listed buildings can be seen intertwined in the work: original stained-glass windows and sculpted façades are reflected in the designs’ abstract shapes. While other designs showcase Wakefield today.
Exhibited across a series of five locations, the temporary outdoor trail encourages passers-by to look up — drawing their attention to Westgate’s beautiful architecture.
The Upper Westgate High Street Heritage Action Zone is a four-year scheme, part-funded by Wakefield Council and Historic England ending in 2023 which will breathe new life into historic streets and yards off Upper Westgate.
"It was such a joy working with Ekaterina for the Hidden Stories of Westgate Voices project. From her initial application for the commission to the execution of the final works, she was super professional, engaging, ambitious and a pleasure to collaborate with. We were bowled over by the quality of her previous projects and so excited to bring her work to the streets of Wakefield. The final series of artworks exceeded our expectations, it really brought an injection of colour and life to the street and I really hope and look forward to working with her again in the future."
