People in Falmouth are being invited to “doodle your difference” and get involved in the town’s latest community street art project.

The Maritime Mural, which will celebrate diversity and difference in Falmouth, follows the success of a ground breaking project to promote autism awareness through art.

Last summer a vibrant piece of community street art, designed by a group of children who have brothers or sisters on the autistic spectrum, was unveiled on the tunnel leading from Church Street car park.

Now a 60ft wall in Maritime Car Park on Bar Road will be painted by the same street artist, Marc Craig, but this time it will be designed around people’s interpretations of how they are different.

During February members of the public will be asked to post their own doodles of how they are different in one of 16 designated post boxes dotted around Falmouth. The doodles will be translated into a mural design.

It is hoped the bespoke post boxes, which have been designed by students from Falmouth University’s foundation art course, will be auctioned off at the end of the project to fund the next piece of community street art.

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

Epic Aims is a group of children who have brothers or sisters on the autism spectrum. Their first mural shows the positive aspects of autism and their own experiences as a sibling to someone with autism. The group will be working on the final design of the Maritime Mural with Marc Craig.

Rachel said: “Our modern day life has a big focus on things like bullying, equality and how we should all be allowed to be who we want to be without prejudice or abuse because we are seen as different.

“What better way to share this vision and show acceptance that different does not in fact mean less, than a mural created by the local community. This will be a very exciting way to engage the local community in sharing this message while also getting a real view of people’s experiences of being different and will leave a lasting message for the people of Falmouth and its many visitors.”

The wall the mural will be painted on is owned by the Maritime Museum. Its director Richard Doughty said: “The Maritime Museum Cornwall is delighted to partner on this brilliant creative project. It fits perfectly with our major new temporary exhibition for 2017, Tattoo: British Tattoo Art Revealed, a ground-breaking and comprehensive history of British tattooing, celebrating the astonishingly rich artistic heritage of tattooing as an art form in the UK.”

Serena Collins from Cornwall Council said: “Cornwall Council, through the Cornwall Autism Partnership (CAP), is delighted to be working with Spectrum in raising awareness of autism in local communities. The graffiti project is one of the initiatives that the CAP are supporting this year, others include filmed Café Chats, public information signs and employment opportunities with local business.

“This project for individuals living with autism with their family and friends enables their voices to be heard and for all people to ask the question what is autism? Through greater awareness positive change can take place to ensure people with autism can reach their full potential in Cornwall.”

The bold and bright mural in the Church Street tunnel celebrates Falmouth as a community and promotes awareness of autism and the work of Spectrum, the South West’s leading charity for autism services."

Rachel added: “We were inspired by the young people and their positive regard and admiration for their brothers and sisters with autistic spectrum disorders. Marc Craig did an amazing job of translating their vision into a piece of community art which will inform a generation.”

Spectrum is a non-profit making registered charity, with over 30 years’ experience of providing residential, education and outreach support services for individuals on the Autism spectrum. For more information, please visit spectrumasd.org.