Art on the Underground has collaborated with artist Michael Crowe and London schoolchildren to launch Spaghetti Map, a children’s art map designed to encourage creativity during the summer holidays.
The map spotlights six permanent commissions on the London Underground network, including Larry Achiampong’s 2022 pan-African roundel at Westminster Underground station. Available online and at 11 London Underground stations, the leaflet features artworks and writing by participating schoolchildren, with additional displays at the South Kensington Subway.
The Spaghetti Map leaflet, created by Spaghetti Club, introduces the Art on the Underground commissions through references from sunsets and angels to Greek mythology and Ghanaian Akan symbols. The map includes text and image-based prompts, providing space for readers to write and draw, and showcases material by primary students who collaborated with Michael Crowe. The leaflet aims to inspire children to think like artists while using the London Underground network.
As part of the launch, seven new posters featuring original drawings and writing by four primary students are on display in the South Kensington Subway, which connects to the Natural History, Science, and Victoria & Albert museums. The initiative is part of Transport for London’s world-leading Art on the Underground programme, which commissions artists to create works for the London Underground network. With children under five travelling for free on the TfL network, and discounted fares for older children, the Spaghetti Map is an ideal companion for families exploring London during the summer holidays.
Eleanor Pinfield, Head of Art on the Underground, said: “The wonderful thing about art is that we all have our own unique ways of responding to it. By drawing on iconic artworks on our Underground network, Spaghetti Map calls on kids to think outside the box and let their imaginations run free, with inspirational hints from the schoolchildren involved that will make you laugh, think and see the world in a new way.”
