A Northern Ireland council is to look at transforming public utility boxes into art pieces.
Elected representatives at Ards and North Down Borough Council have passed a motion submitted by the Alliance Party, which hopes to address problems of 'tagging' or antisocial graffiti.
At the council’s February meeting of its Place and Prosperity Committee, members passed the motion, which states: “This council notes the transformative benefits that street art, such as painted utility boxes, can have on communities, including the potential to become tourist attractions or foster a sense of civic pride. It also notes the recent success of the painted utility boxes in Ward Park.
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“This council also acknowledges the frustration and concern that graffiti, such as tagging, can cause and the subsequent costs of removal. It notes it is important to facilitate the creation of local art in a safe, legal, and positive way enabling artistic creation and local regeneration while also reducing the proliferation of antisocial graffiti.”
Councillors unanimously agreed that council officers return a report identifying suitable utility boxes that could be prospective canvas sites for local art. The motion also asks for the council to call on local artists who could participate in the project, with the input of the council arts officer, and identify any external funding sources. The motion will go to the full council for ratification next week.
Alliance Councillor Rachel Ashe, who submitted the motion, told the chamber: “Hopefully the report will show a range of options. (The plan) will be to work with the (Stormont) Department for Communities to transform the utility boxes they own, improve the look and feel of certain areas, and support local up and coming artists.
“There would be quite an element of artists collaborating with the local community, so it is not going to be forced on anyone. It can be personalised to respect the local community it is in.”
Alliance Councillor Gillian McCollum, who seconded the motion, said: “The painted utility boxes in Donaghadee, which are already a feature there, painted by Sharon Regan and others, are a joy and uplifting to see. This is a fantastic project, with potential to collaborate with the community.”
DUP Councillor Nigel Edmund said he would support the motion, but gave words of caution. He said: “I do have concerns, but not about the nature of what would be produced by the artists. Meetinghouse Lane in Newtownards had some beautiful artwork up until about two months ago - now it is absolutely covered in graffiti. It’s a disgrace.
“When that happens, the artwork becomes awful looking, and then you have a town filled with artwork that is destroyed by vandals.” He said: “Maybe we need to find some way of protecting these artworks.”
UUP Councillor Richard Smart said: “We talk a lot about problems, but one area we don’t have problems in the borough is the fantastic artistic talent that we have, from the Creative Peninsula to Boom Studios, where there is such an array of talent in so many media. If we can make our residents aware of those artists who live amongst us, with that talent, that would be fantastic.”
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