Bedminster and Southville Upfest a 'huge success'

By Hannah2009 | Monday, June 06, 2011, 09:30

Bristol welcomed 250 international street artists and DJs to the city for a colourful free festival. Urban artists from 17 different countries flocked to the two-day Upfest event at The Tobacco Factory in Southville – the festival's birthplace – as well other locations in the city.

The street art festival Upfest took place at various locations in Bedminster and Southville and across Bristol

Organisers said at least 65 artists flew from other countries to make it to Europe's largest urban paint festival.

It was the fourth year for the festival, which celebrated everything to do with street art.

Big names in national graffiti culture Don, Inkie and Spqr set up alongside home grown talents Cheo, Jody and Lokey.

Upfest organiser Stephen Hayles told the Evening Post that the event had been a huge success with about 12,000 people attending – treble the amount who came last year.

A highlight was "Secret Wars" where groups of street artists competed in a 90 minute "draw-off".

One of the finalists, Keith Hopewell, 34, from Horfield, told the Post that the exciting event sees artists using marker pens with no pencils or sketchbooks allowed. He is part of a group called Collaboration Nation, run through social networking site Facebook, which sees different types of artists collaborating on works of art, which are then sold.

"We had an exhibition of work at Upfest," he said.

"It's a great place to meet other artists and to sell work."

Another highlight was the painting of gorilla sculptures all over the city.

The individually painted gorilla sculptures are to appear on streets across Bristol in a mass public art event for ten weeks this summer, as the highlight of Bristol Zoo's 175th birthday year.

The sculptures will then be auctioned off in September to raise money for conservation projects.

During Upfest the finishing touches were put to two gorilla sculptures by acclaimed graffiti artists Inkie, and Cheo.

Inkie painted a sculpture which was sponsored by Las Iguanas bar, while Cheo painted a gorilla sponsored by North Street traders, which will eventually be placed on the road in Southville.

Mr Hayles said: "Bristol is established as the home of graffiti in the UK – the whole country and now even the world has attributed this to the city.

"We are proud to be a part of this movement and will continue to provide a platform for brand new artists to break onto the UK urban art scene.

"The fact that it's free just makes it even more exciting."

The festival helps raise funds for the Bristol based charity the National Association for Children Of Alcoholics, which works to address the problems children have growing up in families where one or both parents suffer from alcoholism.

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Comments

I came over from Trowbridge for Upfest as I was living just off North Street for it last year. It's great to see North Street come alive; a friend and myself visited on Saturday and Sunday to see all the finished pieces. It was a shame the weather wasn't up to Saturday's standard, but there was a great atmosphere. We sat and enjoyed a cider from the Upfest Gallery and watched one of the pieces being done - there was really some amazing talent on show. I was disappointed to hear 'Fake' had pulled out this year as his piece last year was one of my favourites!

By jodehumphries at 19:12 on 11/06/11
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I'm afraid I have to agree with Ashton_Man. My views on tagging are well known but despite the obvious talent of some of the artists who painted shutters I don't think that it does North St any favours at all. The artwork on the side of the Tobacco factory is the stuff of nightmares and does not enhance the building whatsoever. The painting on some of the shutters reminds me a bit of Stokes Croft (albeit without a baying mob trying to burn down Tesco). As for art on shutters being better than tags, in theory, yes. However, as someone whose qualification is in criminology I have read many interesting articles on the subject. One of these asks if 'street art' reduces tagging/graffiti and compares 'graffiti style art' and conventional 'street murals'. The finding was that 'graffiti style' art actually encourages tagging as other less talented persons attempt to take credit for the piece by adding their own tags whereas conventional street art reduces vandalism. Thus, the painted shutters, no matter how well done, being in the graffiti style may actually encourage vandalism in the area. As Ashton_man points out, since the weekend there has been another rise in tagging in the area. In fact, a walk down North St yesterday showed that shops had already been tagged. I'm not against UPFEST, the temporary 'walls' on North St green and in Raleigh Rd were a good idea and allowed people show their work legally but as pointed out, the residents of the area have to live here and if there is something encouraging criminal damage it's going to make the place a less pleasant place to live. Finally, what happens if the art is tagged? A grey shutter means you can clean the tag off, the painted shutters will need a complete clean, destroying the art unless the owner wants shutters with artwork patched with paint covered tags.

By Kaptain_Von at 22:31 on 08/06/11
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Sorry to hear your comments Ashton_man, but I am sure both you and your client are in a minority, on this one. I have for a long time not been an advocate of shutter on shops. Most are there without planning permission, however, I try to understand the reason. Its a pity your client did not look at the area as a whole and they would then realise that buying into this area is a sound investment. I have client also who have purchased properties in this area, and have been grateful eversince. Southville/North Street has developed and continues to do so. Whilst the shutters wont be to everyones taste, after all art is subjective after all. I like the changes and after all its only for a year as they change annually.

By kevinigloo at 12:39 on 08/06/11
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As a member of the North Street Traders i would like to thank UPFEST for a weekend in which the street was alive - as it should be! The shutters are amazing and for those who think otherwise- would you prefer to see mindless "tags" and swear words scrawled across the dull grey shutters or colourful paintings by talented young and older artists? In July, 2 gorillas will be coming to North Street as part of the gorilla trail to celebrate the 175th anniversary of Bristol Zoo. The money for the gorillas has been raised by North Street independent traders through donations and the recent raffle. Events such as UPFEST bring people to the street, custom to the street and keep the local shops open. Voice an opinion but appreciate the reason.

By Compuwave at 22:26 on 07/06/11
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Yes, congratulations to Upfest for making Southville look like a complete dump! The 30 foot high painting up the side of the Tobacco Factory, one of Bedminsters historic buildings is ghastly and the painted shutters on North street make it look like the shops in places like Knowle West and Hartcliffe. Then there is the massive upsurge in graffiti tags since the weekend as talentless idiots got hold of spray paint cans. Clients of my business have commented on how awful it looks and one pulled out of a property sale because they felt the area looked tatty and rundown because of it. By all means allow the artists to paint on temporary structures like those erected in Raleigh Rd but not on the buildings themselves as now we have to live with it making the place look like a vandals paradise.

By Ashton_Man at 20:29 on 07/06/11
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