Runcorn’s streets are about to become an urban gallery, making a stroll through the town even more captivating.
A new street art installation will soon enhance the viaduct piers between the High Street near the Bridgewater Canal and the River Mersey. This striking public artwork will celebrate the rich local history of the Dukesfield area, blending it with the town’s unique cultural narrative.
The project has recently taken an exciting step forward, with two talented artists now commissioned to bring these stories to life.
Alyo Nomad: A Global Muralist with a Passion for Positivity
[Image: Aylo Nomad]
Hayley, known professionally as Alyo Nomad, is a muralist whose career spans over 500 large-scale works. She first discovered art as a therapeutic outlet during her childhood, eventually transforming that passion into a full-time career. After opening a paint shop in Manchester, she quickly became a sought-after muralist, painting towering walls across Europe, the U.S., Mexico, and beyond.
“When a developer asked me to paint a seven-story wall, I said yes without hesitation,” Alyo recalls. “At the time, few women were doing large-scale murals.” Her work has since graced cities worldwide, but her mission remains clear: “Art should spread hope, positivity, and inspiration. That’s why we do what we do, and we hope the Runcorn mural resonates with everyone who sees it.”
[Image: Joiner Mural By Aylo Nomad in Mexico]
Liam Bononi: Connecting the Past to the Present
[Image: Liam Bononi]
Liam Bononi, the second artist, began his artistic journey in street art in 2007 while living in Brazil before moving to Liverpool in 2019. His style is rooted in an early immersion into the artistic realm, drawing inspiration from exaggerated, dramatic and theatrical expressions of the place he is working in to develop the story. For the Runcorn project, Liam immersed himself in the community, gathering stories and photographs to inspire his work.
“The concept of connectivity really struck me,” Liam shares. “The viaduct acts as a bridge connecting people, and street art does the same. This project is a chance to link the rich history of Dukesfield with the present, especially for the younger generation.”
[Image: Mural by Liam Bononi]
Murals set to be unveiled in Spring 2025
Both artists were chosen through an interview process with representatives from Hazlehurst Studios, Runcorn and District Historical Society, Halton Borough Council and Susan Nickson the writer and creator of ‘Two Pints of Lager’, who also visited the project at the beginning of the year following their initial public consultation with the eleven stories selected by the Runcorn and District Historical Society to be a starting point for the project and drawn out by the team at Hazlehurst Studios. The artists were tasked with selecting stories to illustrate on the viaducts, which will serve as massive canvases for the murals set to be unveiled in Spring 2025. The unique scale and location have challenged the artists to think differently, ensuring the final pieces will be breathtaking, thought-provoking and will certainly be a view not to be missed.
This project is one of the 15 strands that are a part of the wider Reconnecting Runcorn programme delivering the Runcorn Town Investment Plan after being awarded £23.6m in 2021 from the UK Government’s Towns Fund. Collectively they will enhance local connections through improved training and economic opportunities, enhanced transport links, housing and environmental improvements and upgraded visitor attractions.
For more information and to keep up to date with the street art project and other Reconnecting Runcorn projects at https://reconnectingruncorn.info/