Art comes to Virgin Trains' first class lounges

Virgin Trains customers using First Class lounges at Euston and Birmingham New Street will soon be able to enjoy viewing bespoke pieces of art while they wait for their trains.

A partnership with Hedz Limited, the Midlands leading creative art and design company has given an opportunity to young people to display their talents with canvas based artwork in a very public arena. One of the company's principal activities is the running of youth engagement workshops that can produce original designs and concepts that meet the needs of commercial organisations large and small.

The partnership between Virgin Trains and Hedz has been forged by Virgin Unite, a corporate social responsibility team that drives similar initiatives large and small throughout the Virgin group of companies world-wide.

The project launches in Euston's First Class Coffee Lounge today (November 29) but the canvasses commissioned will shortly transfer to more permanent locations in the lounge at Birmingham New Street and the 1st Floor lounge overlooking the main concourse at Euston.

Both the artists whose work goes on display from today are known by their pseudonyms, "Risk" and "Style One" and were present at today's unveiling.

Richard Shotton, Virgin Trains Director of Stations said at today's launch:

"The opportunity to support and help up and coming young artists to fulfil their ambitions was one that particularly appealed to us. Its important to us as a major transport provider in the Midlands to reach out and feel part of that community. We very much hope our first class customers will enjoy looking at the pieces of art and that it will add something extra to their journeys".

Stuart Styles, Art Director Hedz Limited said: " Our collaboration with Virgin Unite alongside our art creation contract with Virgin Trains, will serve to establish our organisation as one of the countries leading service providers within the creative industries. I can speak for my whole team when I say that these opportunities are truly inspirational and fill us all with great aspirations for future projects associated to the Virgin brands."

Ends

For photographs of the launch event at London Euston on 29 November 2007 please call 0845 000 3333.

Notes to Editors

Artist profiles

Style One

A seasoned veteran in the field of bespoke canvas creation, Style One brings a truly unique blend of warmth and escapism to his artistic renditions. Heavily influenced by both rural and urban landscapes Style One works in an inspiring mix of acrylics and aerosols to give his audience a pleasurable journey to settings of rolling countryside meadows and jagged city sprawl.

Risk

Risk is classed by many national art pundits as 'the one to watch' in the exciting world of canvas based contemporary art. Images created in aerosol palettes lay as sharp contrast to acrylic based detailing. Risk draws direct inspiration from both a colourful and introspective history as a professional aerosol artist that now spans over 15 years.

About Hedz

Hedz was conceived in 2001, by the current director, Miles Hesketh. It was originally launched as an event promotion and management organisation in Birmingham, UK. In 2003, Hedz joined forces with Stuart Styles, the founder of Graph Supplies, to unleash the UK's first dedicated urban art gallery, Vibrant Fibre. This incorporated an exhibition/gallery space for artwork, with an on-site clothing customisation service, and a unique canvas commission service. By 2005, the other main service, youth engagement workshops, (in urban arts and design), had received such commendation and demand, that the centre of activity was moved away from a street-level retail space, to a studio office, to allow attention to be further focussed on these workshops. Hedz now uses all of the experience that it has gained along the way, to produce original designs and concepts, to compliment and enhance organisations, and at the same inspiring their teams.

Virgin Trains Media Information

For further media information contact the Virgin Trains Press Office on

0845 000 3333, or visit our media website