Eastenders set to return with in tribute of Black Lives Matter movement

Eastenders has celebrated its return to filming by showcasing a huge new piece of art on set.

The BBC soap unveiled a mural of a black woman by visual artist Dreph – and it has been painted directly onto the sidewall of the Beales’ house, opposite The Queen Victoria pub.

The new addition to the Square was shared on the show’s official Instagram page, alongside images of the artist and members of the cast and crew.

“As filming starts up again, we’re revealing a new, permanent addition to the #EastEnders set,” the post read.

 

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As filming starts up again, we’re revealing a new, permanent addition to the #EastEnders set. This mural of a black woman, has been painted by visual artist @dreph_, onto the side of the Beales’ house. It will be a striking and lasting backdrop to Walford life. British-born Ghanaian artist Dreph (Neequaye Dsane) has said: “The opportunity to have my art work on the set as a permanent feature, having the same impact as my work has on the streets of London, was a really exciting opportunity. I remember watching the very first EastEnders episode 3 decades ago, so I was really surprised to hear from the team! I’m so pleased that EastEnders has found a way to reflect modern day UK in a time when so many of us are finding ways to voice anti-racism and I’m so happy that my work will become the backdrop to future storylines in the show.” Jon Sen, EastEnders Executive Producer, commented: “Dreph’s mural is an exciting and timely addition to the show that reflects events taking place in the real world. Anti-racism is something that the cast, crew and producers care passionately about at EastEnders and the show is well known for tackling social issues and celebrating diversity and inclusivity through its characters and storylines.” We love it, and hope you do too.

A post shared by EastEnders (@bbceastenders) on Jun 28, 2020 at 11:00pm PDT

“This mural of a black woman, has been painted by visual artist @dreph_, onto the side of the Beales’ house. It will be a striking and lasting backdrop to Walford life.”

Dreph, who is best known for his large-scale murals and oil paintings, revealed that he was thrilled to be a part of this project.

“The opportunity to have my artwork on the set as a permanent feature, having the same impact as my work has on the streets of London, was a really exciting opportunity,” he stated in the post.

“I remember watching the very first EastEnders episode 3 decades ago, so I was really surprised to hear from the team!”

“I’m so pleased that EastEnders has found a way to reflect modern-day UK in a time when so many of us are finding ways to voice anti-racism and I’m so happy that my work will become the backdrop to future storylines in the show,” he commented.

Executive producer Jon Sen also opened up about the importance behind the mural.

“Dreph’s mural is an exciting and timely addition to the show that reflects events taking place in the real world,” he explained.

“Anti-racism is something that the cast, crew and producers care passionately about at EastEnders and the show is well known for tackling social issues and celebrating diversity and inclusivity through its characters and storylines,” he added.

The revelation comes amid the Black Lives Matter ongoing protests, which was triggered by the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minnesota last month.

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