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Giant Artwork Appears at Great Missenden Station

By The Roald Dahl Museum

...and it looks splendiferous!

We’re still feeling giddy from our appropriately sunny mural launch last Friday (28 March). The giant artwork was assembled in just a couple of hours by the side of the platform, but it was the culmination of months of hard, but enthusiastically creative work.

Monkeys and giant peaches

Now, when you pull into Great Missenden station, you’ll spot out of your train window glimpses of bright colour. Some rolling hills, a giant peach, dogs, foxes, even a chocolate cake — all nestled under a glorious sky with a Chiltern Railways train whizzing through. Taking centre stage is the Roald Dahl Museum, surrounded by everything that makes the local landscape, and the stories it inspired, great.

The project

The project was a joint effort between the Museum, sixth form students from The Misbourne School and mural artist Sólveig Eva Magnúsdóttir and made possible with funding from The Chiltern Railways Community Investment Fund.

The students learned about Roald Dahl’s creative process and discovered how the local area inspired many of his stories and characters, before developing their own visual ideas relating to Great Missenden. They worked with Sólveig to create the mural composition combining elements of the surrounding area, Roald Dahl’s stories and items that have meaning to them.

A woman wearing black addressing an audience on a train station platform. Behind her is a bright, colourful mural
Mural artist Sólveig Eva Magnúsdóttir at the unveiling
A group of young adults with their backs to the camera looking at a large colourful artwork. They are outside on a sunny day
Students take a look at the mural
Close-up detail of an artwork, featuring the tops of buildings and a flying train with a elegant bird on top.
Section of the artwork
A man in a suit talking to an audience (not seen). He's outside in the sun, and the large artwork is behind him. The image is cropped so we only see a small part of the mural
Harry Burr from Chiltern Railways addressing the crowd
Two students with backs to the camera look on at a girl holding up a phone in front of a colourful mural
Students compare notes
group of adults stand together posing n front of a brightly coloured outside artwork
Members of the Museum project team with representatives from Chiltern Railways
Students gained skills in main areas including press interviews
A group of students wearing smart clothes gather round for a photo on a sunny day
The sixth form students from The Misbourne involved in the project
A detail from a large piece of artwork featuring a small boy riding on the back of a swan
Detail from the mural
The students

12 students worked on the mural project, which aimed to give them practical, real-world skills and increased creative confidence. Here’s what some of the students had to say about their experience.

A large group of adults and older school students stand outside on a sunny day, lined up in front of a large, colourful artwork

The Misbourne students and teachers with artist Sólveig Eva Magnúsdóttir and Hannah Nielsen from the Roald Dahl Museum.

Maya Bates

“I was excited to take part in this project as I knew it would be a fantastic opportunity to enhance my teamwork and communication skills. As someone usually on the receiving end of an interview it was interesting to be on the opposite side. I enjoyed evaluating all the candidates and taking part in the activities they prepared for us. “

Daisy Davies

“Throughout the project, we had numerous meetings and consultations with Sólveig, the artist, in which we discussed aspects of Roald’s books and their newly adapted films, and the way that they impacted us and what emotions they provoked. From that, we started briefing and planning some potential designs which would be included in the final piece, inspired from the wacky aspects of his work. We continuously improved our designs and ideas, adding extra features and details, to try and encapsulate his distinctive artistic style which inspired many.”

“I leave with a deeper appreciation for public art and its ability to spark joy, just as Dahl’s books continue to do for readers of all age”

Alex

“After deciding on an artist, we then met with her and did some activities to bring out our creative side. In later sessions we created ideas of what we would want included in the mural, taking ideas and suggestions from everyone. Last week we were able to go back to the museum and see the designs Sólveig had created, which were amazing. We were all able to point out different aspects that were our own ideas, and we are all looking forward to the unveiling on Friday where we can see it in its full size and with colour.”

 

See for yourself

The 10-metre-long mural is now in situ at the station in Great Missenden after it’s official unveiling, and ready to greet thousands of travellers each year. Just pop along to platform one if you want to take a look.