A thought-provoking mural celebrating diversity and difference in Falmouth has been unveiled on a 165ft wall in the town centre.

The Maritime Mural is a piece of community street art which follows the success of Spectrum’s ground breaking project to promote autism awareness through art. Hundreds of doodles, including pictures, poems and quotes, submitted by members of the public have been cleverly translated to make the striking mural in the Maritime Car Park on Bar Road.

It took street artist Marc Craig less than a week to transform the boring wall into the dynamic, bright offering that was officially unveiled yesterday morning. The mural includes Marc’s own interpretation of the nine aspects of diversity law, as well as images that represent Falmouth such as daffodils, pirates, lighthouses, boats, seagulls and mermaids.

Marc said: “We had so many amazing doodles from people expressing their own identity – every single one of them meant something. I have tried to include as many as I could, and hopefully people will be able to recognise elements of their own doodles on the mural.

“This is the biggest painting I have ever done and I am proud to have been involved in such an important piece of community art. It’s a significant representation of diversity within our own rich community and should be on everyone’s must-see list in Falmouth.”

The project is a collaboration between Spectrum, Cornwall Council, Falmouth Town Council, the National Maritime Museum Cornwall, Falmouth University and the University of Exeter. It is the brainchild of Spectrum’s Rachel Brown and has been funded by Cornwall Council.

Rachel, Spectrum’s assistant head of development, said: “We have thoroughly enjoyed our continued relationship with Marc Craig and the Epic Aims street collective. This is an exciting project which brought together many partners and the local community to raise awareness of difference and diversity. Spectrum is committed to ensuring people with autism and others who are neuro-diverse are supported to be part of a community that engages with and celebrates their different contributions to society.”

Richard Doughty, director of the Maritime Museum, said: “The NMMC is delighted to have this opportunity to work in collaboration on such an exciting project that celebrates Falmouth as a community and promotes awareness of autism and the work of Spectrum. This bold and vibrant mural is an excellent piece of work and brilliantly integrates with our own cultural programming for 2017, not to mention really brightens up this corner of our Maritime Car Park. It will be seen and enjoyed by visitors to the museum old and new.”

Serena Collins, from Cornwall Council’s children and family services department, said: “Cornwall Council is delighted to be able to sponsor this community project, which shows what can be achieved when working in partnership with others. The diverse organisations involved in the mural came together for the same goal; to raise awareness of autism and raise awareness of the tremendous benefits to local communities of everyone being different.”

Last summer a wall on the tunnel leading from Church Street car park was designed and painted by Marc and a group of children known as Epic Aims, who have brothers or sisters on the autistic spectrum.

The bold and bright mural celebrates Falmouth as a community and promotes awareness of autism and the work of Spectrum, the South West’s leading charity for autism services. Epic Aims worked on the final design of the Maritime Mural with Marc. Spectrum is now hoping to create similar murals in other towns across Cornwall.