Newcastle Council is threatening $2,000 on-the-spot fines for anyone caught graffitiing the city.
The skatepark at South Newcastle Beach got a fresh coat of paint today, but some believe that’s just provided a new canvas to encourage more graffiti.
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Newcastle’s Loft Youth Venue worked with local graffiti artists to run weekly graffiti workshops called “You Write, Mate?” at this location that has now banned painting.
The workshop aims to teach the local youth painting skills and had resulted in a massive clean up of the South Newcastle Beach skate park.
As a part of this program an agreement was reached between the council and local graffiti writers. This agreement specifies certain areas of the skate park which are mural areas, or free painting areas, and requires writers to be registered to take part in the program.
This is just one real, positive example of what can be achieved if the community accepts and embraces graffiti.
Those responsible for the closure of this area, and ultimately this youth program, claim they are dedicated to removing unwanted eyesores, yet sexist exploitative billboard advertisements are more prevalent in the Newcastle than ever before – where’s the campaign to stop advertising images like those depicted in the mini-doco “Keep Australia Colourful” ?
( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuXkk9-aM_s )