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Tuesday 1 Sep 2009

TEENS WANTED TO MAKEOVER TROWBRIDGE SKATE PARK

Region & Route:

Wales & Western: Western

| Wales & Western

A public art project, funded by Network Rail, is calling for 15 young people to lend their creative talents to help liven up the environment of Trowbridge Skate Park, which is blighted by unruly scribbles and tags.

As the spaces available are limited, those interested to take part are urged to hurry and register by logging on to no-messin.com. The public art project kicks off on 6 September.

Young participants will be wielding their paint brushes, giving the skate park a facelift while being offered a legal alternative for them to show off their creativity.

In addition, the project aims to raise awareness amongst young people on the consequences of daubing graffiti, especially on the railway. It will also give them the opportunity to learn a new skill and discover alternatives to graffiti.

Graffiti is a major issue on the railway and every year, the industry spends millions to clean up affected areas. In Trowbridge, over the past year, there has been an increase in graffiti appearing across the town, including inaccessible areas on the railway and on railway bridges.

Liz Heading, community safety manager, Network Rail said: “Through this, we hope that they will learn to take pride in their environment and most importantly realise the dangers of misbehaving on the railway. Graffiti has been discovered in places offering no refuge from approaching trains, areas where there are trip hazards or where offenders risked getting their feet trapped in railway points at the busy junction.

Not only are vandals putting their own lives at risk, they are also costing the rail industry millions of pounds. This money could be better spent in improving the rail network. The dangers cannot be stressed enough. Writing graffiti on the railway is not a harmless pastime. It is a criminal act.”

The Skate Art Project is a partnership between Network Rail and the Wiltshire Youth Arts Partnership, working with Read & Weep Artist Collective.

The initiative is being fully supported by British Transport Police, Wiltshire Police, Trowbridge Town Council, and Wiltshire Council including the Youth Development Service, Youth Offending Team and ASB Reduction Team.