Bridgwater Arts Centre is delighted to announce South West-based artist Guilherme Luã Pereira as the artist selected to create a bespoke mural celebrating the venue’s 80th anniversary this year.
The new mural will be installed on the front of the theatre balcony at Bridgwater Arts Centre, creating a striking new artwork that celebrates the building’s rich history, its place at the heart of Bridgwater’s creative community and eight decades of arts, performance, participation and storytelling.
To mark this significant milestone, Bridgwater Arts Centre invited artists to submit proposals for a mural that would reflect the heritage of the building while creating a bold and welcoming visual statement for audiences, visitors and the wider community.
Multidisciplinary artist, Guilherme Luã Pereira, was selected following a period of public engagement involving Bridgwater Arts Centre’s dedicated volunteers, Visual Arts Committee and patrons. Guilherme Luã Pereira’s proposal features a graphic representation of Bridgwater’s architecture, establishing a strong visual connection between the Arts Centre and the town. Designed specifically for an indoor public space, the proposed work uses a visual language that is both contemporary and timeless, paying tribute to the Arts Centre’s 80-year history and the legacy created by generations of artists, audiences, volunteers and the wider community.
Councillor Irena Hubble said:
“This is a wonderful way to celebrate 80 years of Bridgwater Arts Centre and the incredible contribution it has made to the cultural life of our town. The new mural will provide a lasting reminder of that heritage while looking forward to the future and the generations of artists, performers and audiences still to come.”
Arts Centre Manager Beccy Armory said:
“We’re thrilled to be working with Guilherme Luã Pereira on this very special project. We wanted the mural to capture what makes Bridgwater Arts Centre so unique, the creativity, the people and the sense of community that have been at its heart for 80 years. We can’t wait to see the design come to life and become part of the building’s story.”
The completed mural will become a lasting legacy artwork for Bridgwater Arts Centre and will be unveiled as part of the Centre’s 80th anniversary celebrations on 10 October 2026.
The anniversary programme will celebrate eight decades of creativity, culture and community, bringing together memories, stories, performances and artwork that reflect the Arts Centre’s remarkable history and its continuing role in the life of Bridgwater.
For more information, please visit www.bridgwaterartscentre.co.uk/ or call the box office 01278 422700.
