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Council uses art to defeat graffiti
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| Viking heritage - this striking image of Norsemen in Ashingdon is an example of how culture is curbing vandalism |
GRAFFITI tagging is a craze that blights much of the country, has landed people in jail and has been discussed in the House of Commons.
How to solve the problem has caused headaches for local councils all over the UK and the world.
Officials at Rochford have adopted a method they believe is helping stamp it out. In areas badly affected by taggers, professional graffiti artists have been recruited to paint murals that relate to the history of the area.
Council chiefs say this has proved effective in stopping the taggers, as they respect other people's work.
They recruited a professional graffiti artist, Scott Irving, 30, to teach kids about the history and culture of graffiti.
Mr Irving runs his own company, Brave Art, and helps youngsters to paint murals on graffiti hotspots.
He said: "When you see the kids who just do the little tags or scribbles, normally they want to do that as a bigger thing, but don't have the time or resources to do that.
"We've held workshops in Rochford where these kids have learnt about the history and culture of graffiti.
"The thing these kids like is that graffiti is an art form, created by and dominated by young people. That makes it their own.
"We make them very aware of the consequences if they carry it out illegally."
Mr Irving has been involved in painting three murals on walls in Rochford district.
These include the skateboard ramp in Clements Hall, the nearby pavilion and one in Rochford Garden Way.
In total, there have been seven projects completed in the last two years at an average cost of £1,000 each, vastly cheaper than the cleaning costs of removing tagging.
Between September, 2005, and August, 2006, there were 45 reports of criminal damage - none of which were graffiti related.
This compares with the previous 12 months, when there were 125 reports of criminal damage, with many connected to graffiti.
The projects are themed to take in the history and character of the location. The latest project, in Ashingdon, contains references to its Viking roots.
Other projects have taken place in the district, including walls at Sweyne Park and Great Wakering, and council bosses say the results are heartening.
Rochford District Council's community safety officer, Steve Garland, said the aim was to encourage pride in young people's surroundings.
He said: "The artwork is is really good. It has a particular style that has been developed from America and is something these kids can be really proud of.
"At first they were quite cautious as they thought it was a set-up.
"When they realised it wasn't, they were delighted.
"By working in a positive way with local young people, we gave them a focus and pride in their surroundings."
James Duddridge, MP for Rochford and Southend East, who recently brought the issue to the House of Commons, has spoken about the financial cost of graffiti.
Mr Duddridge said in Parliament: "There is a massive social and financial cost to graffiti, and I shall deal first with the social cost.
"It is not only an eyesore, but a permanent reminder of the decline in society."
9:34am Friday 3rd August 2007
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