THE CREATIVE CROSSOVER PAINT THEIR FIRST COURT

Local basketball Community Interest Company ‘The Creative Crossover CIC’ has just transformed their first basketball court into an amazing piece of urban floor art at a run-down basketball court at Central Park.

The Creative Crossover - set up by Troy Woodhouse, Glenn Woodall and Louise Mills - combines educational platforms with basketball to engage local communities with their projects, and encourage children to put down their devices and get outside and exercise in the fresh air. 

The Fox Cub Court saw art and graphic design at the forefront of the team's project. 

The Creative Crossover teamed up with Green Communities in Plymouth to run a free creative workshop, asking the local community to design and come up with a name for a basketball court. 

The turnout exceeded expectations, with over 30 designs submitted – with design ideas ranging from global warming to giraffes and princesses in an array of amazing shapes and colours. The team said that with so many wonderful designs it helped inspire the final finished piece - a giant fox, a ladybird and a colourful rainbow. 

Plymouth City Council granted permission for the team to pain the court and supported by funds from Labour's Peverell ward councillor, Cllr Jaime Bannerman. The Crossover team began to lay down the designs and after three thankfully sunny days, the design was masked out and painted, and the Creative Crossovers’ first-ever urban floor art mural was complete. 

Louise, communication and wellbeing director, said: "The response from the community has been lovely. 

"We've had so many people showing interest in the court while we've been painting, from children and their parents to dog walkers and people using the skate park. All commenting on the difference it has made to the area and how they are looking forward to using it, or seeing it in use. 

"This has been one of our goals from the beginning and has made all the hard work worthwhile."

Troy, Educational and Creative Director, added: "Our goal is to take any disused courts, mugas [Multi-Use Games Area] or uninspired areas in and around Plymouth and turn them into a beautiful piece of art that the community can help design through our free creative workshops and then go and play basketball on it – hopefully inspiring a new generation of basketball players in the city."

Glenn, Director of Physical Education, said: "Being part of this amazing project has been years in the making. Troy and I are both huge basketball fans, and have been talking about this for years. 

"To see the idea come become reality is unbelievable, and we are all incredibly proud of our achievement. Thanks also to a few family members and friends who helped us complete the job. 

"Together with Troy, Louise and the Creative Crossover brand, this can hopefully lead on to us brightening up many more Basketball courts around Plymouth and up and down the South West!"

Holly Maher, Natural Infrastructure Planning Team, Green Communities said: "It's been incredible to see the community come together for this mural. Seeing the kids’ bright and colourful nature-themed designs come to life on the court has been amazing, and that fox design is so cute! 

"The team at Creative Crossover have done a fantastic job, and it's been a pleasure to work with them."

If you have an area in your community that would benefit from the same creativity, please give the Creative Crossover a call, or to see more of what the Creative Crossover CIC has to offer, please visit www.creativecrossover.co.uk