Grafitti artist paints mural in Liverpool in campaign to help hospitality workers' mental health

let's talk mural
So Lets Talk campaign mural painted by artist Shawn Sharpe Credit: Shawn Sharpe

A giant mural is being painted in Liverpool today to highlight mental and physical issues faced by people working in the hospitality industry. 

It's the idea of 'So Lets Talk', a not-for-profit platform looking to provide education and support for the hospitality industry.

The mural measuring 11.4 metres wide and 2.9 metres high is being created by graffiti artist Shawn Sharpe. It will be painted on the side of Pins Social Club on Duke Street and take over 24 hours to create and using 40 spray cans.

The So Lets Talk campaign says the hospitality industry has seen a real decline in mental health following the 18 months of intermittent closures, lockdowns and uncertainty during the pandemic.

Site of Mural in So Lets Talk campaign Credit: So Lets Talk

The idea behind the mural is to encourage people to ask healthier questions before a work shift.

The campaign wants people to ask more relevant questions such as how much valuable sleep did we get last night? When was the last time we had a home cooked meal

Speaking on the project, Patrick Howley, founder of So Lets Talk said:

“The idea behind these murals was to raise awareness about mental, physical and financial health in the hospitality industry, but also, what we do here at So Lets Talk.

We’re so grateful to Pins Social Club for gifting us the space, and for Shawn for doing such an incredible job.

The money raised will not only help us to support a local artist, but it will also help us to run sessions for hospitality professionals; making it a much happier and healthier place to be.” 

Alongside Liverpool, So Lets Talk has previously brought the mural project to Manchester’s Northern Quarter - with plans to take the campaign to other major UK cities, including Glasgow, Birmingham and London.

So Lets Talk was created by Patrick Howley in January 2020. Patrick spent well over a decade in the hospitality industry, where he found himself in a destructive cycle of long hours, disrupted sleeping patterns, poor nutrition, high alcohol consumption and recreational drug use.

The decision to create ‘So Lets Talk’ was inspired by Howley’s experiences and lessons learned in not having an avenue for help during his time of need. He hopes to support others in a similar situation.

For more information visit: https://soletstalk.co/