Squeaky Pedal, a leading creator of films, podcasts and content across museums, heritage and cultural attractions, was asked by Cheshire East Council to follow the artist Akse as he transformed the wall of a building in Macclesfield, UK, creating a striking new image of the Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis.
Curtis had close links with the Cheshire town, having been brought up there and been taught at King’s School. His ashes are also buried in Macclesfield Cemetery. As the singer of Joy Division, he connected with music fans around the world, and the band’s biggest hit ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ is still played on the radio often, more than four decades after its release.
Celebrating a local legend
Akse is a graffiti artist based in Manchester. His expertise in creating freehand high definition photo realistic graphic portraits has seen him create iconic murals of several well-known personalities, including Mark E Smith, Tony Wilson and Marcus Rashford.
From the start of this project, it was clear to the Squeaky Pedal team how beloved Curtis is by the people of Macclesfield. Their goal was to capture the excitement, anticipation and awe that the artwork stirred in the area, as well as capturing the creation of the mural itself.
Squeaky Pedal completed two films. One is a timelapse of the mural taking shape, filmed over our days. The other film features members of the public talking about their love for the band and its impact on their lives, as well as their connections and memories of the singer. As a final celebration of the band’s music a version of ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ was produced and performed by Squeaky Pedal.
The film crew had unique access to both the artist and the site itself. This allowed it, and the film’s viewers, to gain a remarkable insight into the creation of the piece and the skill of the artist.
Reaction to the mural itself has been overwhelmingly positive, and the films allow fans from across the world the opportunity to experience the talent of the artist Akse and the mural in all its glory.
Squeaky Pedal were safe hands to steer the creative direction of the project and deliver exactly what we needed,” commented the Cultural Economy Team from Cheshire East Council. “They are super friendly and approachable, responded to short timescales for proposal, planning and production and delivered above and beyond. We are really pleased with the films they created.”
Both films can be viewed on the company’s website.
Last year, Squeaky Pedal was asked by History Hit, historian Dan Snow’s streaming history channel, to create a special 40-minute documentary exploring Whitefriars Priory in Gloucester, UK.