Legal Graffiti Banned in Nottingham

Can you believe they have banned LEGAL Graffiti in Nottingham? That’s like banning your freedom of expression? What a load of crap!!!!

banned legal graffiti in nottingham

Nottingham City Council has been branded as “insane” after deciding to ban legal graffiti art sites in Nottingham.

Nottingham City Council has made it illegal for large-scale graffiti art to take place at youth clubs as part of its efforts to “clean up” the city.

The Arches youth club near the Lady Bay bridge is one of a number of sites in Nottingham where spray artists can no longer express themselves legally.

Professional graffiti artist Steve Dilks (Dilk) said the council’s decision showed its “lack of understanding” about the art form.

Dilk said: “The kids are heartbroken. They do not know what they are going to do now. Some of these legal graffiti site are of a real high standard. The artists basically feel that they are getting punished for other sorts of lower-level graffiti.”

Rumours had been circulating for months that the council could be about to ban graffiti art at the site, Dilk said.

Those rumours became reality last week when the artist led a final painting session at The Arches before the murals are removed.

The 35-year-old, from Bakersfield, who first began painting graffiti art in the 1980s, said: “The Arches was somewhere they could go to express themselves through artwork. I think this all boils down to a lack of understanding about graffiti. This art should be disassociated from tags and scribbles. Graffiti art is a real passion for a lot of young people – if these walls go then what are their options?”

Dilk claimed removing the legal sites will actually lead to more illegal graffiti appearing across the city.

He said: “I’ve always told artists not to paint illegally, especially as they’ve got access to these places. To take them away is insane.”

Dilk has launched a petition against the council’s decision. It is available to sign in his shop, the Montana art and fashion shop, in Goose Gate, Hockley.

Other youth clubs set to lose their legal graffiti art sites include the Russell Youth Club in St Ann’s, and at the St Ann’s Adventure Playground.

Nottingham City Council confirmed it has begun a programme to remove the large-scale graffiti sites over the next few months.

It says high levels of graffiti has often been found in areas near to where the legal graffiti has been allowed to take place. As a result, it has created “a threatening aura of neglect and danger”, the council claims.

Coun Jon Collins, leader of Nottingham City Council, said: “Graffiti is something that residents find annoying and offensive. It is not feasible to say that graffiti is OK here but not there, so the city council is clearly stating that we will not tolerate graffiti anywhere in Nottingham.

“Every year the city council removes more than 56,000 square metres of graffiti, at a cost to residents of £300,000. We will be removing graffiti and taking enforcement action to prosecute those responsible whenever we can.”

Short URL: http://puregraffiti.com/art/?p=3665

Posted by Fyer11 on 6:10 am. Filed under Graffiti News, Hip Hop x Graffiti. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry