Edinburgh locals have expressed concerns over the future of Leith's History Mural, which has seen considerable weather damage over the decades.
Since being painted in 1986, the mural has never been redone and is 'deserving of some much needed revival, according to arts charity Leith Late. While many agree renovations are needed, opinion is split over whether the mural should be kept the same or updated with new depictions of Leith.
Leith Late will be holding an event on January 28 where residents will be able to weigh in on the debate. Since June, they've been running a public consultation where it became clear opinion was divided.
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Jessie Lindsay, Assistant Producer at Leith Late, told Edinburgh Live about the concerns. She said: "The mural was painted on a south facing wall, and with the Scottish weather it's really taken a battering over the years.
"The blue colours are still vibrant, but considerable damage can be seen in the other colours. When street art is made, its often considered that it won't be there forever - so I guess nearly four decades is pretty good going."
As for the future of the mural, locals are divided over the next steps. Some hope for new additions the piece, whereas others would prefer the painting redone with no changes made.
Jessie told us: "A lot of those who grew up in Leith want it to stay in the same, and are worried the memories will be lost.
"Others are pushing for fresh art to be made, and a new artist to be brought in."
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When the mural was first made, artists Tim Chalk and Paul Grime wanted to do an array of murals around Leith. Hoping to capture local feelings of Leith, they spoke to residents about what they wanted to see.
Jessie added: "When it was first painted, the hope was to capture the changes and future of the area.
"Over the years, it's become the Leith History Mural. In a way, the mural could be stuck in the '80s and it may be time to weave in new tales.
"The faded memories could be replaced with new ones, while keeping some aspects - and using the same process as the original artists."
On January 28, Leith Late are holding a Town Hall event to gather opinions from locals and see what direction the mural may take. Jessie told us some are pushing for more modern representations to be depicted, including communities such as refugees and LGBT+ people.
You can find out more about the event here.
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