Equinix backs new mural celebrating Slough’s global data connections

Earlier this week, business and community leaders from across Slough came together for the unveiling of a new mural celebrating the town’s connectivity to the wider world.

Bringing a splash of colour to Slough Station, the mural was designed by local artist Jho as part of #ArtScape – an initiative from the volunteer-driven Slough Hub to reimagine and change people’s perceptions of the town.

Jho moved to the UK from Colombia around six months ago, and The Slough Hub team have since supported her in taking English classes.

“I come from a background where there’s a lot of murals everywhere”, she said.

“So why we can’t transport Slough into an urban art district – not just here in the train station, but all around Slough, to be able to reflect our diverse community?”

That could certainly be the way things are heading, as her design marks only the fourth of 50 public art installations set to pop up throughout the town over the coming year.

The first was sponsored by local financial auditors Quadrin Group and their founder Suleman Baig.

And backing this particular design was Equinix, a multinational data centre operator with a major presence in Slough.

Bruce Owen, MD of Equinix UK, said choosing Jho’s design from the many exciting proposals was ‘one of the hardest business decisions’ he and his colleagues had ever had to make.

But decision made, Jho was invited along to the Equinix offices for inspiration.

Walking among the data centres, she recalled that ‘people laughed when I said I’m actually inside of the internet!’ – because it’s in these vast computer rooms that data is stored and transferred around the world.

“It’s a little-known fact that the internet actually has a physicality to it”, Bruce explained. “We describe it as the engine room of the digital economy.

“What most people don’t realise is just how critical Slough is, not just within the UK economy, but within the global economy. It’s the second largest data centre market in the world” – second only to San Francisco.

It was this global connectivity, coupled with Slough’s own interconnected communities, which Jho was keen to portray in her mural, and which inspired Equinix to sponsor her efforts.

“I think it’s imperative that business participates in the community it operates in”, Bruce added.

“We have a really big part of our presence here in Slough. And we believe that we should hire local, develop local talents, and participate in local activities.

“So we’re very proud of our relationship and our history in Slough and look forward to continuing to invest in the area.

“Congratulations to Jho on a wonderful piece of art!”

And with the #ArtScape project only just underway, there should be plenty more opportunities for local businesses to get involved in the near future.

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