Station Hill has announced that local artist Kev Munday, who provided the illustration for the illuminated Station Hill murals, will be creating a live piece of artwork at Party on the Hill.
Party on the Hill is a free event for the town taking place on Saturday 21st June to celebrate the official opening of Reading’s landmark £850m mixed-use destination.
The final piece of artwork will then be auctioned off, with 100% of the proceeds going to one of Station Hill’s charity partners Launchpad, Reading’s leading homelessness prevention charity. Alongside the painting there will also be a large doodle wall featuring the artwork from the murals, where attendees can unleash their inner artist and have a go at colouring in alongside Kev on the day
Kirsti Wilson, Head of Marketing and Fundraising, Launchpad, said: “What a great way to launch our partnership with Station Hill! We love the impact Kev’s murals have had in Reading town centre and are so happy to be benefiting from the sale of one of his wonderful designs. There’s no doubt that whoever wins this auction with be the owner of some amazing art, while helping to support people who are homeless or facing homelessness in our town.”
Kev Munday added: “I will be creating one of my crowd scene paintings during the event to launch Station Hill. These paintings are all about unity, community and diversity, and I’m pleased to be offering this one for up for auction, with all proceeds going to Launchpad to support the work they do to help end homelessness in the local area.”
Kev’s work was included in last year’s Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition, and he was recently featured in a Daily Mail article titled ‘How to spot the next Banksy or Hockney’, presenting a great opportunity to invest in a fanatic piece of artwork, and support the local community in the process.
Party on the Hill will be featuring a plethora of local artists, food and drink stalls, community groups and children’s activities. Entry to the event is free.
Taking place from 12.00pm until late evening, the fun-filled event will be packed with a programme designed for foodies, families, and music lovers alike.
There will be performances from local artists RASPO Steel Band, Reading Youth Orchestra, DJ Goldust Academy and BEATROOTS Samba Band from Readipop.
A wide selection of food, drinks, arts and crafts will also be on offer, including Station Hill favourites Siren Craft Brew, Angelo’s and Notes, alongside Reading icons, such as Purple Turtle, Yaylo, Zambrero, and many more.
Local composer Peter Doyle, together with singer Dionne Williams and the Reading Gospel Choir, will take to the stage for the much-anticipated debut performance of the Reading Town Song, created especially for the occasion.
Eventgoers will have the opportunity to view Ebb&Flow, with an Open House event running from 12.00pm-3.00pm providing tours of their contemporary apartments and resident amenity spaces, available to rent right on Station Hill.
Fun activities for all, including Station Hill’s newly launched public art trail and fountain area.
The event will be easily accessible from Reading Station or Friars Walk – with stalls, stages and activities spanning Friars Walk that connects the two.
.Alex Aitchison, Managing Director at Lincoln Property Company and Director at REDA (Reading’s Economic and Destination Agency) commented: “Party on the Hill is all about bringing people together to celebrate the transformation of the area, which we hope will help to create a strong sense of local pride in the town. We want Station Hill to be a place the community can connect with every day.”
