Meet The Ball

Over a period of four months, artist Nocciola The Drawer was embedded in the world of women’s football at Durham University.

Watch the video below to meet some of the players involved in the project and hear about their experiences.

Inspired by the players, a new wall mural at Maiden Castle is the end result of this project.

Scroll through this mobile guide to find out more about how the artwork was made and what it represents.

This work was made possible thanks to Durham University’s Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Fund, which supports projects that help to build a respectful and inclusive environment for all of our staff and students.

The story of the artwork begins here, with two young girls and a boy playing football together. Many of the women involved in this project got into the sport at a young age, following in their brother’s footsteps and seeing no barriers to entry.

One of the girls wears a shirt reading: I want to be a footballer when I grow up. At this young age they felt no different to the boys as they learned to love the game.

Next, we see the resilience of women playing football as they get older. Many women are forced out of the game due to limited opportunities, or barriers like coaches not understanding periods, or how their bodies were changing.

For those that carry on, whether playing in the dark, the freezing cold, or the pouring rain, they do it because they love the game. They love the challenge, love being outside and love being with the community of friends they have built through playing football.

The colours in this section of the artwork mirror the colours of the college teams which Nocciola The Drawer worked with in this project.

This section of the artwork shows the hard work and sacrifice it takes to play high level football. Durham University women’s teams have regular training and strength and conditioning sessions, often in the early hours before teaching begins.

Players need resilience to come back from injuries and shake off the disappointment of defeats, but they do it to support their team and for their own personal growth.

Near the top of the artwork, on the player’s shorts, you can see the artist’s signature.

The bottom right of the artwork shows dreams becoming reality, as the players enter the world of elite, professional football.

Not everyone can make this step, but no matter what level they play at, everyone has their own goals that they work towards.

The numbers on the player’s shirt show the 2024/25 results for Durham Women FC and Durham University Women, who play their home games here at Maiden Castle.

The central section of the artwork shows the many different ways that women and girls can Meet The Ball. This could be stepping out to play, or going to watch matches as a fan with friends and family.

Durham Women FC offer opportunities for fans to meet and connect with the team post-match and provide family friendly facilities so all different types of fan can attend.

This artwork is part of the AWAY FROM HOME exhibition project which shares the research of Professor Stacey Pope from Durham University's Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences.

Tap the button below to visit the online exhibition and find out more.

To see more work by Nocciola The Drawer, follow the link below.

Watch the video below for more interviews with the players involved.