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The enduring and successful marriage of urban art and action sports is fostered in and around skate parks worldwide, with each enterprise representing a variety of disciplines and attributes. While action sports promote respect, perseverance and exercise, urban art aims to uplift, inspire and educate the public for free, whilst endeavouring to regenerate the urban landscape. These positive and constructive forms of self expression contribute on individual, community and cultural levels, and appeal to people from all walks of life, young and old alike.
With this in mind, SEND Project were delighted to be involved in the re-generation of Lady Bay Skate Park, in partnership with Rushcliffe Borough Council.
The SEND artists worked with a number of young people over a two day period, designing and spray painting the surfaces of the skate park with a combination of positive message and abstract art, centred around the chosen theme of community safety. This initiative was prompted by the resurgence of vandalism in the area due to the recent criminalisation of legal graffiti painting, and was supported by both the council and the local residents as well as the young people-led Lady Bay Skate Park Group.
In spite of occasionally being rained off, almost every surface was re-decorated in time for the annual ‘Battle at the Bay’ skateboard competition (once again organised by the Lady Bay Skate Park Group) with vibrant new art work that represents the positive values of the park community. We hope that you enjoy pushing and pedalling in your new environment and that the competition was wicked and bad, despite the afternoon deluge; keep catching that air you lovely lot!
SEND Project want to express their gratitude to all the young people that came down to help, with extra special props to Milo and Joey; it was a pleasure to meet so many inspiring and creative individuals and spend time in such a welcoming atmosphere. A special thank you also to Dave Warren, the local youth worker who helped bring the whole project together.
Photos by Tom Quigley
Squiggly photography
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