The Tree Council features in a stunning new piece of tree street art, adding a splash of colour and community spirit to Newton Abbot, Devon.
Artist Joe Webster – a guest on The Tree Council’s Trees Outside of Woodland and Us event in March 2024 – wanted to involve the community in creating the new 16-metre high artwork which was inspired by a giant oak tree, felled to make way for the war memorial a century ago.
The loss of the ancient oak caused a large public outcry at the time, showing how important nature is to people in the town. The new mural ‘The Community Tree’ focusses on the local community’s relationship with nature.
People are sharing their stories and memories of their favourite trees and green spaces in the town. Words and phrases from their stories will be painted into the new graffiti artwork.
The artwork is designed to look stunning at all times of day, with a silhouette of the tree’s trunk and branches and golden yellow leaves which look bright during the day, and seem to glow when lit up by streetlights.
Can you spot ‘The Tree Council’?
The abstract leaves are filled with positive words, such as ‘optimism’, ‘bloom’ and ‘peaceful’ and ‘The Tree Council’ is included, around a quarter of the way up the huge mural.
Joe Webster aka EnuF is a landscape graffiti artist who explores the landscape in the context of our changing relationship to the planet. His work has been exhibited across the UK and internationally.
Joe Webster said: “This project is about ‘placemaking’ – harnessing local people’s inspiration and creativity to improve the health, happiness, and wellbeing of where we live. Street Art like this is wonderfully inclusive and accessible for everyone. We chose a particularly visible wall in disrepair, and with the community’s input, we’re transforming it into a vibrant and colourful space focused on our relationship with nature.
“I want to highlight all the many positive things about our relationship with nature, but I also feel we need to acknowledge some of the current negative things.
“It’s been a pleasure to work with schools again and to give something back to my local community. We’re so grateful to all the people who have contributed the hundreds of words which will be woven into the foliage of the tree as a chorus of local voices.”
The creation of The Community Tree is a collaborative effort, with workshops for community groups and local schools held to gather input from residents of all ages. Textile artist Catherine West of Significant Seams has helped people to explore nature-inspired collage, lettering, applique and embroidery.
The project is a collaboration between the people of Newton Abbot, Rotary Newton Abbot, Action on Climate in Teignbridge, Significant Seams and artist Joe Webster aka EnuF. It is being made possible by Levelling Up Funding and Teignbridge Council with additional support from a wide range of local groups and organisations.
The new mural is opposite Newton Abbot library.
The Tree Council, working with Forest Research and Lestari, asked a selection of artists and writers – including Joe Webster – to share their thoughts on Trees Outside of Woodland. Find out more here
