Novella – Weaving Salford’s Story into a New Residential Community
At Solid Ground, we believe that every place has a story to tell, and never has there been a truer case than with Novella.
When we partnered with Muse Developments and English Cities Fund (ECF) to support the launch of Novella, we wanted to create more than just a campaign, we wanted to create something that truly reflected Salford’s character, creativity, and cultural heritage.
Client:
Muse
Location:
Novella, Salford
Project:
Weaving Salford’s Story into a New Residential Community
A Bold Statement: The Novella Mural
To make an immediate visual impact, we collaborated with Global Street Art Agency to create a large-scale mural on the side of Phase 1 of the development. Inspired by Salford’s literary, history, industry, and cultural heritage, the mural celebrated what makes Salford iconic and unique. This striking artwork not only enhanced the building’s identity but also acted as a talking point for the whole city.
Bringing the Community’s Voice to Life
Novella isn’t just about bricks and mortar—it’s about the people who live, work, and shape Salford every day. To bring this sense of identity to life, a bespoke poem was commissioned by local writer Kieran Knowles. The poem reflects Salford’s past, present, and future, telling the story of a place that has overcome challenges, embraced progress, and remained fiercely proud of its roots.
But we didn’t stop there. To make this campaign truly immersive, we worked with a range of local people, key figures from the development, and members of the community to record and film them reading the poem at key locations across New Bailey and Salford Central. The final film wove together these individual voices, creating a collective celebration of the city that was authentic, powerful, and deeply engaging.
A Campaign Rooted in Place
From the mural to the spoken-word project, every element of our work at Novella was designed to connect people to place. By integrating art, storytelling, and local voices, we helped to position Novella as not just another apartment complex, but a meaningful addition to Salford’s evolving story.
