Art works: Kim Thompson's Broadway Cinema mural

This is Artfest x Broadway 35 Yr Anniversary Mural. I'm super proud of this piece – my largest painting to date: a mural for the mezzanine of Broadway cinema. Broadway was a regular haunt for me and friends as mosher teens growing up in Nottingham in the 90s. It remains one of my favourite spots in Notts for community, socialising, and entertainment.

The commission came about via a collaboration with Art Fest, a brilliant street art festival developed by Benjamin Kay at The Carousel. I've had the privilege of working with Broadway a few times on promotional projects and film festivals, so I felt I had a good understanding of their ethos, aesthetics and aims for this piece. 

The theme of my design is a celebration of Broadway as an historic, independent cinema – a space for community, art, and education. Visually, I wanted to create something that felt joyous and painterly – nostalgic but timeless – as well as a great spot for photoshoots and selfies!

Having a thorough concept stage during the design process is key. I take time to research and plan colour and composition and gather any references I need. My illustrated work involves combining hand-painted and digital elements, both in and out of a computer. I try to carry this over into my murals through texture and mark making. 

This Broadway mural took around five days. I used a VR headset to scale the linework up and painted the whole thing with rollers, lots of masking tape, brushes, and emulsion paint – using both traditional and dry brush techniques.

I take inspiration from everyone and everywhere. I love people, so the overarching aim of my work is to foster connection and joy, often via nostalgia and people-centred story telling. I was blown away by the recent Kerry James Marshall show at the RA in London. Established Black pioneers, like Barbara Walker and Amy Sherald really inspire me with their unique style and portraiture focus – but so does lots of music, pop culture, mythology, B-Movies, kitsch… The kind of stuff perhaps seen as more 'low brow' or tacky is something I've always been drawn to – I believe there is a lot to learn from it, as someone concerned with visuals and engagement.

Currently, I am running a series of budget friendly Sip & Paint workshops at the New Art Exchange. Hosted in Corner Café, these guided sessions include materials and are for all levels of ability. I've designed them with the purpose of boosting creative confidence, utilising budget friendly tools, developing a body of work, and sharing my tips and tricks gained over twelve years as a commercial artist. 

I've been freelance for twelve years. I was obsessed with drawing from around two years old, copying cartoon characters off the TV. I made picture books when I was five years old and it was all I wanted to do from then on! My family and Caribbean heritage are a huge inspiration and support, with my early work often reflecting their presence through bold colour palettes, unique characters, and maximalism.

I am Notts born and raised. I grew up in Sherwood, studied art at Bilborough College and South Notts Academy, before going on to Manchester where I did my degree, working in TV art departments and in various freelance roles. I moved back to Notts in 2016 and fell in love with my home city – it feels like there is genuine innovation and progress here – there are so many great things happening creatively, it's exciting!

Exhibition wise, in partnership with the charity Women for Women International, I'm showing work in Not My Type – a group exhibition at Atom Gallery in Stoke Newington from 28 March. You can also see more of my mural work around Nottingham, including Hyson Green Youth Club, Crocus Café, and The Lord Roberts pub. 

Visit Broadway Cinema to see Kim Thompson’s largest mural honouring the venue's cinematic history.

@kim_a_tron