New mural in Slough tunnel 'isn’t just public art, it’s public ownership'

An underpass connecting Salt Hill Park and Baylis Park, considered a ‘breeding ground’ for anti-social behaviour, has been transformed into a public artwork.

A waterway below the vandalised ‘forgotten tunnel’ inspired the ‘Water Lives Here’ mural unveiled at a Water and Nature Festival on Saturday (July 19).

High Sheriff of Berkshire, Sean Taylor, and deputy mayor Cllr Neel Rana congratulated volunteers at the inauguration and said the mural ‘will raise the morale of Slough’.

In a speech to attendees, lead artist Johana Plazas (Jho) also said she ‘was happy that everyone was so keen to take part and make it their own project’.

“It was amazing to see people from all walks of life working side by side with brushes in hand,” she added.

“This isn’t just public art. It’s public ownership.”

The project was led by Viva Slough and Project Sponge, with support from Dulux Paints and Salt Hill VR.

Jho told the Express it was ‘amazing’ to see people participate in changing the perception of Slough to a more positive light.

“Art is a good way to express and transform. Through this project, we are trying to educate people that taking care of local spaces is important,” she added.

“You’re not going to change the space with paint. It’s not going to solve all the problems, but it’s a bigger step.

“You’re not making it safer immediately, but when the space looks like people have been taking care of it, then it’s transforming the mindset of people.”

She said the project has also been a ‘tool’ in bringing communities of all backgrounds together.

“It’s good because it’s people doing things together. Some people don’t speak a lot of English, but they are communicating,” she said.

“We need more spirit of friendship here in Slough for continuing these kinds of projects."

Project Sponge community action manager Aya Rehman said the mural is about ‘reconnecting to the stream’ and ‘the role natural spaces play in shaping resilient, thriving communities’.

“The connection to parts of the Salt Hill Stream had become neglected over time, unseen, unheard,” she added.

“By coming together creatively, we’re building local pride, awareness, and a shared sense of care for the environment we all depend on."

Residents from the Friends of Salt Hill Park developed poetry and drawings at workshops guided by Jho and Aya in March, taking inspiration from the stream and surrounding wildlife.

Jho created the final mural design featuring the egret, perch, and native wildflowers, allowing viewers to feel as if they are inside the stream itself.

Before the first brushstroke, the mural was brought to life through VR technology at Salt Hill VR.

Participants were able to paint the tunnel virtually using immersive reality tools, and the VR technology translated the final design onto the physical tunnel walls.

Immersive producer, Jay Younes, said: “We built a full-scale 3D model of the tunnel so the artists could preview the design, adjust colour palettes and refine scale before painting.

“This cut the layout time dramatically and allowed the team to hit the ground running.”

The six-day painting process involved more than 40 volunteers ranging from schoolchildren to passers-by and corporate teams from Dulux Paints, Berkeley Homes, and Tesco Mobile.

Responding to community momentum, Slough Borough Council repaired potholes, fixed broken lighting, and improved the surrounding pathways to support the safe connection between parks.

“I used to rush my kids through that tunnel — it felt unsafe,” said resident Alexandra Mariscu.

“Now, we slow down to admire it. My son says it looks like the river is dancing on the wall.”

Find the mural in the tunnel underpass connecting Salt Hill Park and Baylis Park in Bath Road, SL1 3SR.