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‘Incredibly moving’ artwork by women recovering from addiction is unveiled

Image caption: The Caledonian Park mural that took six months to create

A mural created by a group of women in recovery from addiction was unveiled at Caledonian Park on Monday 14 July.

Tucked away in a quiet, leafy corner of the park off Market Road, the four-panel artwork depicts a line of women walking hand-in-hand towards a majestic phoenix as it rises from the ashes.

The contributing artists are 10 women who met every week for six months to work on the mural, brought together through Better Lives, Islington’s drug and alcohol recovery services as part of North London Foundation Trust.

One of the creators, street artist Rosie Roksoph, said she felt sceptical when the project initially began.

“I thought there were so many things that could go wrong with it,” she said.

“At the beginning I was almost tempted to bail, but I’m so glad I didn’t.

“We did have little disagreements and it was challenging at times, but we stuck with it and managed to compromise, and of course when you go through something like that you get closer and closer.

“The friendships just grew and grew in strength. It was a really bonding and therapeutic experience.

“I would say we’ve all become really good friends and now, as a result, a few of us are going to get together and do more art projects together.”

At the unveiling on Monday, each of the participating women said one word to encapsulate their experience of making the mural: “new beginnings”, “togetherness”, “friendship”, “challenge”.

Manager at Better Lives Islington, Jane Palmer, said: “Even when life got difficult, and it did at times, they continued to show up, support each other and stay committed. That level of consistency and resilience is nothing short of incredible.”

She added: “The mural is more than just art. It’s a message, a story, a celebration of what recovery can look like when women are given space, support and the chance to express themselves.”

Islington’s Arts Champion Councillor Claire Zammit described the event as “incredibly moving” and a “moment of hope”.

She added: “This mural is more than art, it’s a testament to the strength, resilience, and healing of this amazing group of women. Through colour, symbolism, and shared expression, these women have shown us how to turn pain into power, and isolation into connection and created something quite beautiful. It reminds us that art doesn’t just reflect life; it helps rebuild it. I was incredibly proud to be at the event today and celebrate this moment of hope.”

While the mural is a beautiful tribute to recovery in itself, it is also part of another art piece currently in the works – a short film by Sobriety Films UK, which raises awareness of recovery from addiction, mental ill health and trauma.

Sobriety Films founder and director Maddie Kitchen has followed the group of women throughout their journey and is making a short film about it, due to debut at the Recovery Street Film Festival. This is a national film festival, similarly dedicated to stories of recovery, which will be held in Islington for the first time this September.

“I’m a lived experience filmmaker, so the group are very much my peers,” Ms Kitchen said. “I have been incredibly privileged to be part of this as a woman in recovery.”