BRUM GETS GRAFFITI WALL

29-03-2008

Birmingham’s new graffiti wall will open on Monday – providing a legal, supervised outlet for any youngster who wants to express themselves with a spray can.

The idea for a legal wall – first mooted on The Stirrer Forum – is the brainchild of Moseley and Kings Heath councillor Martin Mullaney.

He recently organised a graffiti festival with the aim of combating the illegal taggers who blight many urban areas (see link here).

In January, Mullaney’s Transportation and Street Services Committee proposed the creation of officially sanctioned “mural walls” (see link here) and now that vision is about to become a reality. The new legal graffiti wall will open on Monday 31st March 2008.

The wall is behind Kings Heath Baptist Church, Kings Heath High Street, across the road from Somerfields supermarket and will be managed by professional graffiti artists from In A City Arts whose shop is on York Rd.

Mullaney said: “The wall will initially be quite small - equivalent to 3 wide garage doors. We want to prove to the Baptist Church that the area can be properly managed and kept tidy before expanding.

“No painting will take place while church services are being held, for example.

“The area will be locked up when not in use - the local Ward Committee have funded the erection of iron gates. Graffiti artists will have to book slots on a first come first serve basis through In A City Arts.

“The objective of the wall is to persuade local teenagers to stay to the legal side of graffiti art and not do illegal tagging which upsets residents.”

Ironically the plague of graffiti we reported on recently in Wednesbury has – as promised – spread, but there are now positive indications from Sandwell Council that a clean up is on the way (see link here)