Back in October I was asked to create a collaborative mural for the European Biogas Association’s (EBA) conference on biomethane. It was a really exciting challenge and the audience’s reaction was even better than what I had expected! Let’s take a look at what collaborative murals are and how they can elevate your next event.

What are collaborative murals?

Collaborative murals are large scale illustrations painted on a wall or canvas by a large group of people. There are two main ways that I do collaborative murals, one is when it’s a permanent mural, usually at a company’s office, a restaurant or a private home, and the other is more “ephemeral”, happening at conferences and other live events as a sort of collective performance. These collaborative murals are great ways to tell your story, involve people in a creative activity and bring them together to contribute to a large-scale artwork that will be a reminder of that event for a long time to come.

How are collaborative murals created?

Step 1. Designing together

Every mural painting starts with a co-design session. In the case of the EBA, we sat down together with the team and came up with a visual that explains how biomethane is created and how it benefits the economy. At first, this may not sound like the best material for an artistic creation, but believe me, people were really amazed by the result of their work! When thinking about the illustration, it’s important to consider the message you want to get across and to create a sort of summary and visualise the meaning of your event (don’t worry, the visual part is my job).

What is really powerful about these murals is that when the audience colours the mural together, they also realise that they are a part of something bigger themselves, and that they are all contributing in their own way.

Step 2. Setting up and colouring

On the day of the conference, I came to the event venue and set up a graphic wall with the outlines of the final design on a large piece of paper (almost 3 meters long). Each area on the paper had a corresponding number and people could colour in the numbers based on a colour chart. As the day unfolded, so did the mural, and by late-afternoon, we had a completely finished piece. It was an unexpected and highly appreciated part of the event, people came and participated enthusiastically, and there was a warm and relaxed atmosphere. The final piece was exhibited throughout the two days of the event and then it was transported to the EBA office where it will be fixed on the wall to be a reminder of the success of the event and the collective work of the audience.

What is the impact of collaborative murals?

There are several ways in which collaborative murals can elevate your event:

#1. Relaxed and natural way to network

Networking is one of the main reasons that people go to events, but even if they have the goal to meet new people, very often it can be a bit of a weird and uncomfortable process. Let’s face it, it’s hard to just walk over to somebody and introduce yourself. Enter collaborative murals! While stepping to the wall and doing some colouring, people have a natural and easy way to start a conversation and meet new people.

#2. A different, deeper way to reflect on the conference topic

By creating and artistic piece, people can look at the conference topic in a completely new light. They can discover connections that maybe they have missed before, consider the state of the industry as well as their own role and contribution.

#3. A mindful, artistic break and a unique activity

As a conference organiser, you want your event to be memorable for your audience. You want them to talk about it to others, to share how amazing it was. One way to create this kind of buzz is to offer something they haven’t done before, something different. Collaborative murals are just that!

They are a unique activity that will be remembered for a long time to come.

#4. A beautiful memento to the organisers

Lastly, organisers can take the collaborative mural to their office and put it on the wall to serve as a memento of a successful event full of learning, connection and inspiration.

If you would also like to offer something similar to your audience at your next event, feel free to reach out here.