Union Lane Street Art Project 2008, Melbourne

The Graffiti Mentoring Project grew out of the City of Melbourne's Graffiti Management Plan, initially exploring the possibilities of 'Diversion' suggested in the document. The project was produced by the Community Cultural Development Program of the Arts and Culture Branch, locating the project in an appropriate social and creative context.

For the first three months the topic was scoped and investigated. International, interstate and local council strategies were compared. Against this broader picture, the City of Melbourne's Graffiti Management Plan was examined, in particular its divers response - on one hand the controversial pre-Commonwealth Games clean-up to the new Street Art Permit scheme creating space for legal work. Over 40 stakeholders were interviewed from police officers, to graffiti cleaning coordinators, artists, convicted taggers and youth lawyers to get an idea of how far the practice touches our community.

Artist mentors were then engaged to work with young graffiti writers to conduct their own investigation of the topic through multi-media. Photographs emerged of nighttime tagging, recordings of conversations from behind bars and a film documenting the city's first street art permit to be issued at a site in Parkville created by artists from Artful Dodgers Studio.

The Street Art Project in Union Lane 2008 was the most significant and active stage of the Graffiti Mentoring Project. The laneway is in a high profile site within the heart of the Melbourne's retail hub and was increasingly uninviting and heavily tagged. The creation of the mural, spanning 550 square meters on both sides, aims to transform the site into an exciting, creative and attractive experience for those wanting to walk the central laneways of Melbourne.

Street Art Permits were sought with written permission from the building owners. The word was put out via the Melbourne Youth Services Forum and through an artists' blog, beyondthecctv.blogspot.au, for young people to participate in painting the lane. Sessions were held twice a week, at different times. An Artist Mentor was employed at each session, a Site Manager coordinated the activity, and all materials were provided.

This process attracted more than 100 young artists ranging in ages from as young as 13 years through to mid to late twenties.

The closing stage of the project brings together an exhibition, walking tour and forum exploring the themes and experiences of this project, the current position of graffiti and street art in the City of Melbourne.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Street
• art;
• Graffiti;
• Melbourne;
• Culture

[oskroskroskroskr]

get rid of that annoying loop soundtrack in the background please 

[anddoj]

@joberd Bill Posters Prosicuted 

[kellbellnjimmy]

@joberd bill posters accepted??? maybe

[HypnotizeMinds07]

joint is lovely

[geoffdellow]

Snap - try Union Lane, Ulverston - same idea - only -different!

[unavailblename]

that's dope i wish my city had programs like these then i wouldnt bomb the streets as much...maybe...until it happens i would know

[joberd]

wat does the sign say at 0:24

[verbalrefluxxx]

stupid