In early 2026, Calico Arts worked with artist Eli Delbaere to create a permanent mural for the exterior wall of Sydenham Library. Rather than commissioning a design outright, the project began with the community. Two of Sydenham Library’s regular free workshop sessions were dedicated to the mural design in February 2026. On 7 February, Susan Rafique opened her drop-in session to all ages, with Eli joining to lead participants through drawings and paintings inspired by Sydenham’s wildlife and by fairytales. On 9 February, Anna Arianova dedicated her art classes for secondary school students to the same brief, again with Eli leading the session. The workshops used a co-design technique called copylefting, in which one participant’s work is passed to another to develop further. In one instance, a drawing of books transforming into butterflies became the seed of an entire design concept, with a second participant adding the “Sydenham Library” lettering in a font drawn from medieval illuminated manuscripts. From the workshop material, Eli developed two full designs: Flight of Imagination and Enchanted Woodland. The community were then invited to vote on which should be painted on the wall, and Flight of Imagination was selected. Eli Delbaere is a visual artist, muralist, and arts educator based in London. A graduate of the London School of Muralism, he specialises in large-scale participatory work and has facilitated mural and art projects across a wide range of community settings.