E.ON unveils ‘Our Imagined Future’ – a fantastical mural illustrating Coventry’s greener future, as envisaged and painted by children

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• E.ON has revealed a striking mural in the heart of Coventry, inspired by what children imagine a greener future could look like in our cities
• New research has revealed more than half (58%) of children hope to see more green spaces as part of a more sustainable future with some even visualising litter picking robots (19%)
• Designed by Coventry artist Ben Barter, the mural titled ‘Our Imagined Future’ has been painted by school children
• Unveiled in Coventry’s FarGo Village, the mural celebrates the 15-year strategic energy partnership between Coventry City Council and E.ON

E.ON has this week revealed a giant mural in Coventry’s FarGo Village, illustrating what children across the country imagine a greener city could look like.

The design of the mural, titled ‘Our Imagined Future’, has been inspired following E.ON’s research with 2,000 children from across the UK¹ which revealed over half of children (58%) would like to see more parks and green spaces such as allotments in their local city, as well as more public recycling options (52%). Some children let their imagination run wild, suggesting litter picking robots (19%) and animals living in harmony amongst us (44%), all of which have been incorporated into the mural design by Coventry artist Ben Barter.

Over half of children in the UK (54%) also believe we need to reduce our use of plastic to make cities more sustainable, with 44% stating there should be more sustainable travel options in the future, such as trams and electric buses. In addition, almost half (47%) feel it is vital to have solar panels on all buildings and bus stops and over a third (34%) want to see only electric vehicles on the roads.

Ben Tuck, Social Value Programme Manager at E.ON, said: “Through this mural, we hope to further raise awareness of the importance of sustainability in cities like Coventry, and indeed across the country, as well as the changes we can all make to help build a greener future. ‘Our Imagined Future’ is a great way to visualise children’s inspiring and creative solutions to make our cities greener, more sustainable and better places to live.

“As part of our commitment to working with Coventry City Council to deliver long-term benefit to the local community, we are keen to build awareness and excitement amongst local residents around our shared goal of building a cleaner, greener Coventry.”

The mural design incorporates key findings from the new research, as well as sustainable solutions such as heat pumps, solar panels and EV chargers as part of a greener future in cities.

Located at the entrance of FarGo Village in the heart of Coventry and designed by both artist Ben Barter and muralist Katie O’Sullivan, the 32ft mural took over XX hours to complete. It was finished by pupils aged 9-12 from local schools, Earlsdon Primary and West Coventry Academy, adding colour to children’s imagined futures.

Coventry artist, Ben Barter explains: “It has been inspiring to see how children interpret what a more sustainable future could consist of within this city. My personal favourite is the robots picking up litter and the animals living alongside us in an ecologically diverse environment. As a Coventry local myself, I am excited to see this all come to life as well as witness the artistic talents of the next generation.”

Local Coventry muralist, Katie O’Sullivan, who helped create and paint E.ON’s illustration, adds: “Coventry is a beautiful city that I have been fortunate enough to help paint, and decorate. It’s incredibly rewarding to be a part of this campaign, bringing life and colour to children’s hopes for the sustainable future. Mural artwork is a great platform to shed light on important topics and this particular piece will hopefully encourage visitors and the community to work towards an eco-friendly future.”

When looking into a sustainable future, 46% of children believe that cost is the main obstacle when it comes to building a greener city, followed by a lack of knowledge (17%) and confusion over what to do (13%).

The mural was commissioned to celebrate E.ON’s 15-year strategic energy partnership with Coventry City Council to transform the city’s approach to carbon reduction. The initiative sees the company, which has had its UK home in Coventry for almost 30 years, become the city’s new Strategic Energy Partner, forming an alliance that aims to build a cleaner and more sustainable city and drive a new green economy that will bring jobs and skills for generations to come.

E.ON is also making its return as lead partner for MotoFest Coventry 2024 and the company’s customer facing arm, E.ON Next, has been announced as a major sponsor of the Godiva festival.

• You can visit the mural at FarGo Village, 105-106 Far Gosford Street, Coventry, CV1 5EA from 22nd May 2024 onwards.
• To find out more about the mural, and the partnership with Coventry City Council, please visit eonenergy.com/coventry
• To find out more about E.ON Next, please visit eonnext.com