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I became a self-employed Muralist and Decorative Artist at the age of 19 after unsuccessfully applying for a place at Portsmouth Art College, due to having no qualifications. I had started 4 small businesses by the time I was 22 and in 1990 I became the first person in the world to paint satellite dishes as a business receiving international media attention. At an exhibition at the NEC in Birmingham in 1992, I presented HRH Prince Charles with a camouflaged satellite dish cover for his Highgrove home.

In the following years I continued working as a muralist, community campaigner and artist and my work took me to many place’s in this country and abroad. My murals are particularly well known in the south of England and I have also painted murals in France, Egypt, Thailand, India and Brazil. The murals are commissioned by organisations, councils, and businesses including hotels, bars and private individuals.

By the year 2000, my childhood dream of creating an arts centre where other community artists could work and a place where free workshops could be offered to the community started to come to fruition.

I found a building and negotiated with the local council – it was derelict and near to demolition and needed approximately £70,000 capital funding to be renovated, but the location was perfect. It was in an award-winning park in the centre of Portsmouth…… so ART IN THE PARK was born.

I then raised the necessary funding for the renovation, project managed the work and enlisted the help of many local volunteers. By the summer of 2002 the centre was up and running the Art & Soul Traders became a legal not-for-profit company and the building project won the Portsmouth Society’s Best Renovation Award 2003.

The Art & Soul Traders CIC facilitate community murals, free workshops and courses in painting, graphic design, music, filmmaking, photography, drama, website design and radio production. There is also a café and gallery space for local artists to exhibit their work and a licenced bar for evening events including film, live performance, comedy and music. Additionally, we run free events in the park, attracting up to 5,000 people. In the last 17 years, we have reached over 70,000 people and created over £4 million for our city including micro-businesses, and community development projects whilst clocking up over 120,000 volunteer hours.

We run as a Community Interest Company Co-Op as we believe everyone is entitled to learn new skills for life and be offered the opportunity to reach their full potential. I initiate the mural projects, courses, workshops and events and apply for funding and grants to ensure that the most is achieved from restricted budgets. I employ and manage staff and volunteers (5–45) and also deal with marketing the centre. Other duties include administration, finance, Health & Safety, Equal Opportunities, Child Protection, Charity Law and Committee procedures.

I have won numerous awards including regional inspirational leader (Social Entrepreneur) and feature regally in the local media for my work with the community in the Portsmouth area. Integrity is very important to me and I am self-motivated, discreet, honest and enthusiastic with many years of experience, I am self-disciplined and very hard working either alone or in large self-directing teams, with a track record of making positive things happen with little resources whilst achieving real change in the community.

Mark E.W. Lewis