Hebburn Mosiac and Stories

This unique public art commission celebrates the rich history of Hebburn, its key industries, and the remarkable individuals who have shaped its identity.

The mosaic, funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), reflects themes of history, innovation, civic pride, and community, all identified through artist led public consultations. It highlights Hebburn’s industrial heritage, including mining and shipbuilding, while honouring local figures such as renowned scientist Elizabeth Shaw and Arthur Holmes, a geologist of international repute.

The project not only celebrates Hebburn’s past but also serves to inspire its future. By involving local schools and residents, it aligns with the UKSPF’s goal to build pride in place and increase life opportunities across the country.

About the artist

Svetlana Kondakova Muir is an Edinburgh-based, award-winning public artist. She creates murals, sculptures, paintings and mixed media artworks, primarily for the public realm. She studied Drawing and Painting at Edinburgh College of Art and was introduced to mosaic while on Erasmus exchange at Athens School of Fine Arts in Greece. Svetlana's projects focus on community, heritage, wildlife and the natural environment.

Other members of the team who worked on the mosaic were:

Ronald Binnie - creation of mosaic background & background elements

Paul McAuley - fabrication/assembly

Ali Muir - fabrication/assembly

Giulia Gentili - installation

Paige Silverman - installation

Chronological Elements in the Mosaic

  • Andrew Leslie - owner of Hawthorn Leslie & Company

  • Alphonse C Reyrolle - owner of Reyrolle & Company

  • Arthur Holmes FRS FRSE - Geologist

  • HMS Kelly

  • Welder at Hawthorn Leslie

  • Davy Lamp

  • Hebburn Colliery

  • A miner, symbolising the mining heritage

  • Reyrolle & Co., Factory and its workers

  • Jennie Shearan - Campaigner

  • Elizabeth M. Shaw - Hydrologist

  • Paul Younger - Engineer

  • Hebburn Remembrance plaque with poppies

  • A litter picker and a gardener—symbolising civic pride & community spirit image of litter pickers

  • School pupils self-portraits — Keelman's Way School, St Aloysius, RC Junior School and Hebburn Lakes School

  • A river motif weaving through the artwork.

Artist- Svetlana Kondakova Muir

Artist - Svetlana Kondakova Muir

Kay - standing in front of her image leaving Reyrolles

James - proudly standing in front of his self portrait

Detail of Arthur Holmes FRS FRSE - Geologist

Detail of Paul Younger- Engineer

Hebburn Stories

This illustrated book by Lizzie Lovejoy showcases the many stories gathered during the creative consultation sessions led by local artist Lindsey Grieves, as part of the mosaic commission for Hebburn Town Centre.

Through workshops with local groups and schools, residents shared memories of life in Hebburn. From dramatic lightning shows at Reyrolles' Clothier lab, being chased by a horse in Riverside Park, to the everyday buzz of shipyard life and memories of the town's mining heritage, where coal pits once shaped the landscape and the lives of those who lived and worked there.

Mosaic artist Svetlana Kondakova-Muir turned these stories into a mosaic artwork, referencing the themes of History, Industry, Innovation, Community, and Civic Pride. Svetlana also worked with school pupils from Hebburn Lakes, Keelman's Way, and St Aloysius to create their own self-portraits for the mosaic, representing the town's next generation of innovators.

Lizzie Lovejoy has taken some of the many stories gathered and illustrated a selection that captured the themes of this commission. We hope these stories of Hebburn can be read for many generations to come.

Commissioned by South Tyneside Council, a project managed by The Cultural Spring and funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKPSF), this project celebrates what makes Hebburn truly special, its people, stories, and strong sense of community.

Hebburn Stories Download

  • Hebburn Stories