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Four telecom units are undergoing a unique makeover as part of a local police scheme
There is no doubt that graffiti is a talented yet contentious artform – this is exactly why South Wales police have initiated such a project. In a bid to discourage children from vandalising public spaces, this scheme has wholeheartedly embraced such artwork with positive reinforcement.
The police, alongside BT, have permitted the transformation of several units. The recognisable yet dull green cabinets which are scattered everywhere, perhaps passing most of us by, are being given a new lease of life with an uplifting mural designed by none other than year 6 pupils!
The eye-catching location of Penarth Esplanade is the perfect spot for people to take notice of the design, which features a blue and purple galactical style background with a clever use of a big watchful eye. The eye also features a simple landscape of Penarth Pier reflected in the pupil; far from a one-dimensional piece of work given the young age of its creator.
Rather endearingly, the unit also features the words “My Happy Place” which seems to reaffirm the ethos of the scheme. After receiving the funding, Inspector Duncan Mitchell of South Wales Police stated, ‘The whole point of this is so we can engage the young people in the area to pause and take some responsibility.’
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In seeing their own artwork adorned on local infrastructure, children can gain both an understanding of the repercussions of illegal graffiti and a sense of pride that their vision has been brought to life responsibly by a professional artist.
Victoria Primary School, Penarth have set the scheme in motion with further local schools set to get involved; devised as a competition within year 6 to design something from in and around Penarth. The winners get their designs sprayed on four boxes around Penarth by the artist from Hurtz.
In a bid to draw attention to (and clamp down on) the problem of graffiti in the Penarth area, the police commented that this is not an acceptable criminal behaviour. Instead, this community project has reiterated that street art should only be a creation of a commissioned professional spray paint artist. This is a sentiment also offered by Cllr Kathryn McCaffer, who endorsed this idea. She said, ‘If such an artist was employed professionally in the first place, then other taggers don’t get involved. They won’t touch professional graffiti art.’
This is a brilliant case of reverse psychology. The professional artwork ensures that illegal tagging is deterred whilst also brightening up the area in designated places within the confines of local sanctioning. There is also the added community spirit of engaging school pupils and rewarding their creativity at the same time.
It’s On Cardiff is eagerly anticipating the next design unveilings…
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