A Portrait of Southgate Art Trail

A Portrait of Southgate – A New Arts Trail Launched on Chase Side

A Portrait of Southgate created by artists Alex McHallam and Liz Tirant was launched in May 2025, bringing a vibrant new arts trail to Chase Side. Featuring 28 unique mosaic artworks, each piece reflects a part of Southgate’s rich history, culture and community life, transforming everyday street infrastructure into a celebration of local identity.

Local residents played a central role, sharing their stories, memories and ideas in a series of creative workshops. These sessions – held at the Southgate Club, St Andrew’s Church and Durants School – provided inspiration for the mosaic designs, which together used over 30,000 ceramic and glass tiles.

Artists Alex and Liz led the design and production of the mosaics, collaborating closely with residents to co-create the artworks. They were supported by Public Art Champions Jane Maggs and Poppy Kanu, who helped shape and guide the vision. They were supported by artist-mentor Dan Maier and the Journeys and Places team, ensuring the project reflected the community’s voice at every stage.

The unveiling in May 2025 was a proud moment for Southgate, marking the transformation of former hanging basket posts into a colourful trail of storytelling and creativity. Each mosaic stands as a symbol of collaboration, heritage and pride, strengthening the connection between local people and their town centre.

A Portrait of Southgate is part of the Curate Enfield programme, which has already delivered more than 40 public artworks across the borough, including in Enfield Town, Palmers Green, Angel Edmonton and Southbury. Together, these projects are creating a borough-wide legacy of creativity, collaboration and community pride.

This project was made possible thanks to Public Art Champions Jane and Poppy, artists Alex McHallam and Liz Tiranti, and the inspiration of residents and local groups in Southgate. Special thanks also go to Dan Maier, Arts Council England and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund for their support in making this trail possible.