£10,000 Sunderland Metro mural in Millfield destroyed by bad weather after less than a year

The 24 square metre mural was the creation of Scottish artist Chad McCail. It depicted a story of Sunderland’s industrial past and marked the present.

The end of the story and highlight of the piece was a giant man, comprised of the shapes of many men, towering over the adversities of today and representing the triumph of a community.

It was hoped that generations of Metro passengers would enjoy the work at Millfield station.

However, a large chunk of the piece came away because of water ingress during recent bad weather. The whole work has now been removed.

The £10,000 project was commissioned by Sunderland Culture, on behalf of Metro operator Nexus, as part of its Metro Community Takeover marking the network’s 40th anniversary. Funding came from Arts Council England.

The Echo was at the unveiling in October 2023. and understands the damage happened overnight on September 26/27.

David Turton, Marketing Services manager at Nexus, said: “The inclement weather has sadly caused the mural at Millfield Metro station to come away from the wall. It appears to have been caused by water ingress during recent heavy rain.

“The mural was erected in October last year and it had brought a real a splash of colour to Millfield station, while conveying some important messages about Sunderland’s industrial past, its exciting future, while also celebrating its diverse communities.

“The project was commissioned by Sunderland Culture on behalf Nexus, as part of our Metro Community Takeover, marking Metro’s 40th anniversary.

“The artist, Chad McCail, worked closely with Sunderland Culture to engage two community groups in and around the Millfield area to explore their experiences of living and working in Sunderland and their hopes for its future.

“It was a wonderful piece of work and we are really sorry to see that it has come down.”

Speaking to the Echo in October 2023, Chad McCail said; “I’ve wanted a great piece of art on this wall for at least a decade and I wanted a project which engaged with the community in this part of Sunderland, which has gone through so many challenges in the last few years.”