THIS IS NOT BY CHANCE COLLECTIVE

Local Community Mural Project

Urban walkway with graffiti on concrete walls and a building in the background.
Urban walkway with graffiti on walls, remnants of snow on the ground, and a parked white van in the background.

The bridge in Oct 2021

In late 2021, an exciting conversation began between The Froghall, Powis, and Sunnybank Community Council and This Is Not By Chance, an art collective, about a much-used footbridge in Aberdeen. The Bedford Road Footbridge, which connects Powis and Elmbank Terraces in Kittybrewster, was identified as a key route in need of improvement. The community council sought to enhance the bridge's appeal for local residents while addressing issues of tagging on its surfaces. With most large-scale murals situated closer to Aberdeen’s city centre, the art collective was eager to collaborate on a project that would bring public art to this vibrant community.

The art collective was very keen to involve the local community in shaping how the bridge would look. After a few planning meetings, they hosted workshops with support from the community council to start conversations about the bridge's transformation. Drop-in drawing workshops and tea-and-chat sessions gave people a chance to share their thoughts and ideas. To reach even more people, the collective put up posters on the bridge with QR codes linking to forms for submitting opinions.

Every response played a part in shaping the design. The colours, animals, and flowers included were all inspired by what the community shared. One special detail is a bouncing blue ball, added in memory of Dumbo, a local dog. A couple emailed to share how Dumbo used to wait at that spot on the bridge every day for them to come home from work. They wrote, “That bridge became one of the fondest memories of him, and I’m sure he associated it with us.” If you visit the bridge now, you’ll see the blue ball as a tribute to Dumbo and the love and companionship animals bring to our lives.

Alongside these amazing responses, the collective also reached out to a local school, Sunnybank Primary School, with some worksheets asking about the children’s associations with their area, their favourite memories and feelings about where they live. Every child within the primary school completed a worksheet. These were a joy to look through, and the children’s stories and ideas really helped shape the final design. 

Illustration of six fish swimming in blue water with white accents, featuring three green fish and three yellow fish.

Development of the bridge design

Illustration of fish swimming in a flooded street, surrounded by sketchy outlines of buildings and a streetlamp.
Colorful mural of flowers, ducks, and people walking, with a backdrop of residential buildings.
Hand-drawn draft layout plan with red organic line patterns on white paper, featuring sections and labeled text.

Once the collective had gathered input from the local community, they began creating the final design. Inspired by the pupils' drawings, the bridge now features familiar landmarks like the wheel from Codona’s, local wildlife, and even Sunnybank School itself, among other elements. The collective aimed to create a design that would resonate with everyone in some way, reflecting the diversity and unique character of the community.

With a railway line running through the design, local buildings included, and hidden creatures for adults and children to discover, the collective hopes the bridge brings as much joy to others as it did to them while creating it. They were also incredibly grateful for the support of St Machar Academy, which partnered with them to create a volunteering opportunity for pupils. One of these pupils, the wonderful Dionne, joined them for a day to help paint the mural. Hearing about her passion for art  and  aspirations  for  a  creative  career was

inspiring, and the collective was thrilled to learn that she has since gone on to study at Gray’s School of Art! Through this collaboration, they had meaningful conversations about pursuing careers in the arts and were able to share their experiences along the way.

Since the footbridge was completed, it has been incredibly rewarding for the collective to see the community interact with it. Watching people smile, point out details, and share their excitement has been amazing. They’ve even heard that some visitors are coming to the area specifically to see the bridge.

The Timeline:

Initial meetings & early planning stages

Green artistic swirl on white background

Oct 2021

Line drawing of a street view, featuring a narrow alley leading to buildings with detailed roofs and windows. A lamp post and some trees are visible along the street.
A person coloring bold block letters on a poster that reads "THIS IS NOT BY CHANCE BEDFORD FOOT BRIDGE MURAL." The text is outlined in black and filled in with different colors like orange, yellow, blue, and pink. There is also smaller writing about artwork for Bedford Road.

Community workshops & story gathering.

Person coloring a whimsical landscape drawing with flowers, trees, and a sun using crayons and markers on a piece of paper.
A smiling woman in a white shirt holding a thick stack of papers in front of a large window overlooking a parking lot with trees and a building in the background.
Two people sitting with a stack of papers, discussing and holding worksheets. Some papers have drawings and text. One sheet reads "How do you feel about your area?" The environment looks like a casual setting, possibly a classroom or workshop.

Worksheets to the local school - Sunnybank Primary School!

Opportunity for further local opinion input

Two people at night looking at a paper posted on a bridge, one wearing a beanie and glasses, the other in a black jacket holding a book.

The final design is chosen and approved!

Two sections labeled Bridge Side 1 and Bridge Side 2, featuring colorful abstract illustrations of flowers, winding tracks, Ferris wheel, sun, and city skyline against a landscape background.

June 2022

The bridge is primed

Two people in reflective vests preparing to paint a wall outdoors, with supplies on the ground.

The design starts to come together!

Woman in a yellow vest spray painting a colorful mural outdoors
Person holding colorful stencil in sunlight, wearing a floral bucket hat and high-visibility vest, near a mural with building in background.

Help from aspiring future art student!

Group of people in yellow vests sitting on the ground eating snacks in front of a colorful mural on a sunny day.
A person painting a colorful mural on a wall, featuring flowers and a pink worm. They are holding a paintbrush and smiling, with a pink plastic cup on the ground nearby. Sunglasses rest on their head.
Colorful mural with railroad tracks, grass, and smiling pink creature
Person sitting with a cup in hand, next to a colorful mural with train tracks and nature scenes, under a sunset sky.

The final touches…

Mural with vibrant colors, featuring a winding train track, large flowers, and clouds against a bright blue sky. A person in a floral hat and green vest is visible in the foreground.

The design is varnished and sealed!

Workers in high-visibility gear working on a road surface with paint and tools.
Colorful fish-shaped felt cutouts in a cardboard box

Gevecko markings carry out the floor design.

Illustration of a goldfish with flowing orange fins and a rounded body.
A person in a yellow safety vest painting a colorful mural on a wall, featuring flowers, a caterpillar, clouds, stars, and a winding train track against a blue background. An apartment building is visible in the background.
Person in a reflective vest painting over graffiti on a wall with a roller, blue sky background.
Colorful pedestrian bridge with mural and person in yellow vest walking
A woman in a yellow safety vest smiling in front of a colorful mural featuring a winding train track, large flowers, green hills, and a blue sky with clouds. A tree with green leaves is visible in the background.
Colorful mural on a pathway depicting abstract landscapes, curved train tracks, flowers, and fish in vibrant blue, orange, and green colors. A gray building with windows is visible in the background.
Colorful mural featuring a winding path, flowers, trees, abstract patterns, and a blue pathway with painted fish, set against a backdrop of buildings and a partly cloudy sky.
Two women and an elderly man standing on a colorful, painted path with a brown Labrador Retriever.
Colorful mural featuring a cartoon frog on a roller coaster, with stars and clouds in the background. The track is grey with a yellow path, set against a bright blue sky.
Plaque on a blue panel with text acknowledging a community project supported by Aberdeen City Council and Fairer Aberdeen Fund, involving various contributors, dated 2022.
Colorful mural featuring a winding railroad track on a green hill, surrounded by smiling flowers and a frog. Blue skies with clouds are in the background.
Colorful mural featuring train tracks, landscapes, and bright elements with a blue ground depicting a river and cartoon-like fish. Urban background with stone buildings and traffic lights.
Colorful mural art on walkway with various people and dog, depicting blue water, fish, roller coaster, and nature scenes, with a backdrop of stone buildings.
Colorful mural featuring a whimsical train track on green hills, with abstract buildings, flowers, and a frog. The sky is blue with clouds.

Further Reading on The Bedford Road Footbridge: