We’ve just returned from an incredible few days in Newcastle for the 2025 Community Rail Awards, and what an extremely inspiring experience it was!
The Community Rail Awards celebrate the fantastic work happening across the UK to bring people together through community rail initiatives - from creative projects and station improvements to youth engagement and mental health work. This was our first time attending, and we left feeling more inspired and motivated than ever to keep using art as a tool for connection and positive change!
A Warm Welcome and a Fun Start
Our first day up in Newcastle kicked off with the pre-awards event with Lumo, a wonderful chance to meet and connect with other organisations from all over the country. The room was filled with people who are as passionate as we are about building stronger, more connected communities.
We also had some fun trying out a train simulator, which was a highlight of the day! It was such a unique way to experience part of the rail world from a totally new perspective!
Exploring Newcastle’s Creative Side
Before the official awards night, we took some time to explore the beautiful city of Newcastle. We were blown away by the stunning architecture, from grand churches and historical buildings to Newcastle Castle itself. As always, we were drawn to the incredible street art dotted around the city, and we also visited some amazing art galleries including Baltic gallery, Northern print and the Biscuit Factory, which left us bursting with inspiration.
It’s always special for us to see how different cities embrace creativity in public spaces, and Newcastle certainly didn’t disappoint.
An Unforgettable Awards Evening
The Community Rail Awards ceremony was an incredible event. Held in at the Civic Centre, the evening was filled with inspiring stories of people working to improve their communities through collaborative projects.
Getting to see the 'Community Rail in the North East' exhibition, which featured some wonderful projects going on in the area, as well as the work done by previous award winners, was a fantastic part of the evening. The event served as a lovely reminder of how communities are coming together to make an impact, and how creativity can play a key role in that process.
It was incredible to see how many fantastic companies were being honoured for their efforts as the award ceremony got underway, the entire atmosphere was inspiring!
Award-Winning: Our Finsbury Park Mural
We’re beyond proud to share that we won the Community Arts Award for our Finsbury Park Station Mural!
This project was so close to our hearts because of the incredible community effort that went into making it happen. Together with local people, we co-designed and co-painted a mural that reflects the identity, diversity, and spirit of the community around Finsbury Park.
Going up to collect the award was an emotional moment for all of us - a real recognition of what our work can achieve.
Exciting News: Our Role as Dedicated Artist Along the Network Rail Line for 2025
As if that wasn’t exciting enough, we’re thrilled to announce that Rose Hill - Co-Creative Connection has been named the dedicated artist for a series of projects along the Network Rail line throughout 2025!
Although we can’t share all the details just yet, what we can say is that we’ll be working closely with communities along the line to co-create new murals and public artworks that reflect the unique identity of each place.
We’re so excited to continue building meaningful connections through art, and we can’t wait to share more as these projects develop.
Reflections: Why This Work Matters
Reflecting on our time at the awards, what really stood out to us was the power of people.
Every person we met and every project we heard about showed us that the possibilities of what we can achieve are limitless! Hearing all of the inspirational stories in that room was breath-taking, and it reminded us that we make more of an impact when we come together. And bringing people together is always at the heart of what we do at CCC.
As we look forward to our new projects with Network Rail, this belief feels stronger than ever.
Final Thoughts - and a Question for You!
We’re so grateful to Community Rail Network for recognising our work and for bringing together so many inspiring people.
If you’re interested in finding out more about how Co-Creative Connection can bring community art projects to your area - whether that’s a mural, creative workshops, or a collaborative public art piece - Get in touch We’d love to hear from you and explore how we can work together to make creative projects that reflect and uplift your community.
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