Plans to create more street art in Spalding and areas of South Holland
Plans to create more permanent street art in the area continue to gather pace.
A number of works such as the mental health mural at the Castle Sports Complex and aquatic-themed design on the nearby St Paul’s skate park – known as the Bloc – can be seen bringing Spalding to life.
Now it is hoped that street artists and local schoolchildren can play their parts in more designs proposed for the district.
The Graffiti and Street Art Management Policy will be discussed by South Holland District Council’s Policy Development Panel at Tuesday’s meeting.
“A further ambition of the panel at its October 4, 2022 meeting was that officers work with the arts and education sectors to develop a project to provide a more permanent opportunity for street art in the future,” the officer’s report said.
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“One site suggested is located on Spalding’s Swan Street, and there a number of sites, where communities meet for other activity such as the Bloc and the South Holland Health & Wellbeing Hub in Spalding, where street art has already been utilised, but this ambition has yet to be realised.
“A partner of the council, Transported Arts, is however keen to develop such a project with local schools and further education college.”
A task group developed the street art management policy last year with the castle Sports Complex highlighted for a pilot scheme, after street artists Karl Barfoot and Adam Sadd originally lobbied the council.
“The first concept regarding mental health was subsequently painted onto ply boards, secured onto the old Castle field toilet block, received positive feedback from the general public and members of the task group,” the report continued.
“ A second piece of artwork based around the concept of environment, was to be added to boards secured to the fencing to the rear of the Castle Pool, but the artwork subsequently delivered, was themed around the cost of living, which did not meet the agreed concepts submitted by the artists, as submitted to April 26, 2022 cabinet.
“Due to the artwork not being in accordance with one of the concepts submitted, and the fact that it was not approved by the owner of the asset, or the relevant stakeholders including the Spalding Town Forum, under the terms of the policy, this piece then fell under the designation of graffiti rather than street art, and was removed in line with the policy, and stored whilst the artist responsible for the work was consulted.”
This led to Mr Barfoot, who works under the tag Honr, to say he’d never work with the council again.
“I had wanted to do a child with a climate change design originally but we are in a cost of living crisis and I thought it would be a good idea to do what’s going on in the world,” hew told this paper.
The officer’s report recommends that officers continue to pursue on going work with the arts and education sectors to develop a project to provide a more permanent opportunity for street art in the future.
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