Students transform plain substation wall into vibrant celebration of local biodiversity
In May 2026, Havant Council commissioned University of Portsmouth Illustration students to paint a mural to celebrate the borough’s biodiversity.
Just a month later, staff members and public visitors to the Civic Offices in Havant can now see the finished mural painted on a formerly plain substation wall.
The mural was a collaborative project for the seven students who answered the call for artists. All seven students researched, designed and painted the mural.
What I really enjoyed about this process was being able to work collaboratively. Combining elements of different designs together allowed me to complete a clean final design on Procreate, honouring everyone’s designs and research
Early designs included some of the Havant’s famous migratory visitors, including Brent Geese and Terns. However, the students settled on a design that celebrated Cottonweed, a perennial subshrub that went extinct in Britain in the 1930s.
The story of the plant’s reintroduction, itself a collaborative effort between Havant Borough Council, Natural England, the Rare British Plants Nursery and Hayling Golf Club, captured the attention of the students and those working in the Council.
Although the mural is a celebration of a plant that can now be found in the place it was originally discovered in 1621, it is also a testament to the importance of community-facing art. The students were able to talk to passers-by and interact with the public, speaking at length about the inspiration behind the piece and the process involved in designing and completing large-scale artwork.
The mural is also proof that traditional creative skills are still highly valuable in an age where those same skills are under threat from AI. The painting sessions, which lasted two days, were awash with smiling faces, teamwork, and problem-solving.
The students, who were all working for the first time on a piece of this scale, had to account for a number of unforeseen circumstances, from the different drying times of paints to how to work safely while on a ladder.
I really enjoyed the process, especially the research, as I always like hearing about reintroduction programs like this around the country, and it was great to find out that there was one local to me
These types of hands-on experiences are vital to the learning journeys of our Illustration students and will provide fundamental skills that will help them during their studies and beyond.
The students are hopeful that they will be able to paint the rest of the substation in future, marking this as the start of hopefully fruitful collaboration with Havant Borough Council.
Interested in more?
Check out our MA illustration Instagram page for more artwork and projects from our students