Lots of people automatically condemn graffiti. This is what we think.
Graffiti (plural; singular graffiti or graffito, is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission (though not in our case!) and within public view. Graffiti ranges from simple written words to elaborate wall paintings, and has existed since ancient times, with examples dating back to ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, and the Roman Empire (see also mural). - from Wikipedia.
Town Centre regeneration
One of the core principles of town centre regeneration is to find some way to bring human activity back to an area. If an area ceases to work for one purpose can it be revived by changing the type of activity that takes place there, or by adding something that was not there before? Regeneration is not all about buildings. It is about what people do in a space.
One of the principal features of Artists Attic is that we are highly visible at street level and you can walk in and say hello any time we are open. When you are in the building you will be exposed to art. It might be good, bad or indifferent but someone has made the effort to express themselves creatively. It is up to you how you react to that art.
We have extended that principle into the street in order to get noticed and we plan to extend that activity further. To do this we need to ensure that what we do is both legal and supports the policies adopted by the council. We believe that our work does exactly that.
We are an independent charity who’s aim is to develop Art and Artists in the Dewsbury area. You can find our core objectives on the Charity Commission website as: "We provide opportunities for individuals and groups to create and experience arts and crafts. We believe that everyone benefits physically or mentally, either directly or indirectly from exposure to the arts in all its forms. These activities are carried out at our facility in Dewsbury or in the surrounding area."
You could say we are copying the principle of Sport For All with Art for All
We dislike the run down appearance of much of Dewsbury town centre, particularly the back streets, as much as everyone else. However, with art we can do something to improve that appearance. We work independently and have no connection with council decision making though we frequently cooperate and liaise with council officers working with the community at street level the same as we do.
Kirklees Public Art Policy
We aim to support Kirklees Public Art Policy which is embodied in two policy documents.
- Making Great Places: Making Places Great, Public Art Policy, Published 2017
- A Public Art Plan For Dewsbury Town Centre, Written by Nancy Barrett & Gaynor Seville of Creative Scene for Kirklees Council December 2019.
However, to stay on the legal side of the fence we have to ensure that we are familiar with and comply with various aspects of regulation and legality.
Further to this, we have decided that we will not paint on traditional Yorkshire stone walls that are an asset to our town, We are wanting to paint and make good the run down, lack lustre element that has grown with the number of boarded up abandoned buildings in Dewsbury Town.
The council policy document observes that not everyone will like the street art you put out there – they can often divide opinion sharply. This applies equally to everyone, including the council, its officers and councillors. Presuming that the work is legal (i.e. has the property owners permission) then no-one other than the artist(s) and the owner if they have an opinion has any control over it and what you see is a genuine creative expression.
Those different opinions can be seen in the conversations that have arisen around the work that the council has funded in the town as well as around the work that we have done.
As street art can be different things to different people . We will endeavour to deliver quality art works that are not bland.
We will include local people/artists in our process and work with the owners of the walls or shutters we paint.
Street art is intended to be temporary and can be endlessly refreshed or replaced as the regeneration effort continues in Dewsbury.
If you have any further questions please contact us. And if you want to get involved please come in and we will aim to help develop your creativity and find out if you would like to contribute to the regeneration of Dewsbury..