MALDON District Council is inviting residents to get creative this summer by taking part in a special two-day public art workshop at Riverside Park in Burnham-on-Crouch.

The free workshop will take place on Monday, 25 August from 1pm to 5pm, and Tuesday, 26 August from 1pm to 3pm, and will give local people the chance to help design and create a brand-new mural on the park's toilet block and picnic area, as well as the installation of new seating in the park.

The sessions will be led by professional graffiti artists from Brave Arts, who will guide participants through the process and help bring the final artwork to life.

Alongside the mural project, King Ramps will be running free community skateboarding workshops at Riverside Park's skatepark on 25 August from 12pm to 5pm. Residents of all ages and abilities are invited to come along and receive tuition from professional skateboard instructors, whether they are trying skateboarding for the first time or looking to develop their existing skills.

The Council is encouraging residents of all ages to take part, with a particular focus on young people aged 18 and under. No previous art experience is needed, and everyone is welcome to come along, share ideas and get involved.

The project follows the successful community mural created at Promenade Park last year, where local young people worked alongside professional artists to create a colourful piece of artwork that has been warmly welcomed by visitors. The Riverside Park project is being delivered in partnership with Original Creative Work and Brave Arts, building on the Council's commitment to engaging young people through creative community projects.

The new mural forms part of the Council's Her Space Burnham project to engage with young people across the town and improve local public spaces for young people. It also supports the Make Space for Girls initiative, which aims to make parks and open spaces more welcoming and appealing for women and girls.

The project has received £18,000 of funding through the Rural England Prosperity Fund and has also been match funded by the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex. Alongside the community mural, artists will also be transforming the newly installed bench tops within the park, creating colourful artwork to make the space more visually appealing, welcoming, and enjoyable for residents and visitors.

By involving local young people in the design process, the Council hopes to create artwork that reflects the community while helping residents feel a stronger connection to their local park.

Residents can drop in during the workshop sessions, meet the artists, share their ideas, and help create a lasting piece of community artwork for Riverside Park. Those who are unable to attend can send their ideas and suggestions for the mural to [email protected].

Councillor Simon Morgan, Leader of Maldon District Council, said: "We were delighted to see how successful the mural project at Promenade Park was, and we're excited to bring a similar opportunity to Riverside Park.

"This workshop is a great chance for young people to learn new skills and help create something that will be enjoyed by residents and visitors for years to come. The new mural and artwork on the seating areas will help create a more vibrant and welcoming environment for everyone who uses Riverside Park, particularly young people, women, and girls.

"We want our parks and open spaces to feel welcoming for everyone, and projects like this help us understand what young people want from these spaces while giving them the opportunity to make a real difference in their community. I'd encourage anyone interested to come along and get involved. If you can't make the workshops, we'd still love to hear your ideas for the mural by email.

"Alongside the mural project, we're also pleased to offer free skateboarding sessions with professional instructors, giving even more young people the chance to get active, learn new skills and make the most of Riverside Park."