The underpass, beneath Phoenix Causeway, is being brought to life through a striking spray-painted mural designed and painted by a team of residents and professional artists.
Led by U CAN Spray, the UK’s first street art charity, the project is part of a wider effort to reclaim public space through community-led storytelling and art.
Sarah Gillings, founder of U CAN Spray, said: “This much-used underpass lies on the edge of a conservation area beside the river.
“Previously it didn’t reflect Lewes’s natural beauty.
“But through co-creation – uniting residents of all backgrounds with trained artists – we’ve crafted something by the people, for the people.
“A once-neglected space is now a shared source of pride.”
The mural is the result of more than 125 public submissions collected earlier this year, with 44 per cent of respondents highlighting the River Ouse, biodiversity, and local wildlife as key themes.
The artwork features a fox, a kingfisher, and other natural imagery, and also nods to the global Rights of the River movement, which seeks legal recognition of rivers as living entities.
The painting team includes people aged 17 to 74, from first-time painters to professional muralists.
All participants took part in spray-paint training to ensure the project was both inclusive and empowering.
One passer-by said: “I don’t usually take this route to work because the walls were ugly – but now it’s lovely.”
The mural is more than just decoration.
It serves as a case study in the power of co-created public art, which research shows increases creative confidence, builds community bonds, and fosters long-term care for shared spaces.
The Rights of the River theme also connects Lewes to a global conversation.
Countries including New Zealand, Bangladesh, Ecuador, and Canada have already recognised rivers as living legal entities – a concept Lewes residents began exploring for the River Ouse in 2024.
The project is being delivered by U CAN Spray in partnership with Culture Shift and Street Art Initiative Lewes (SAIL), and is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund and the Chalk Cliff Trust.
Painting will continue through late June, with completion expected in early July.
The mural is located between Harvey’s Brewery and Tesco, beneath the Phoenix Causeway.
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