A grant has been awarded by Southwark Council to a local art organisation to graffiti shopfronts in Camberwell.
Camberwell Arts, in partnership with Camberwell Identity Group, has secured £2,000 in council funding to give the area an “affordable facelift” by graffitiing shop shutters.
They want local artists to apply for the scheme, where they can work with businesses owners to create “eye-catching” and “engaging” shop shutter artwork, which reflects and represents the shop they are partnered with.
The location of the shops has not been determined yet, as Camberwell Arts will call out to all businesses in SE5 to apply to become part of the pilot in the coming weeks.
There will be five shop shutter artworks in total, which will be installed as part of the 2022 Camberwell Arts Festival, running from 4 – 12 June.
Camberwell Arts have said it “welcomes applications from artists and designers working across all disciplines, from street art to sign art, painting to printmaking, creative writing to community arts.”
Successful applicants will be paid either £300 to cover their materials and time or £250 for spray paints to create their work.
“We have kept the commissioning fee low to help make the case to local independent shops and keep the project affordable for them,” reads Camberwell Art’s advert for applicants. “We want to know what you can do on a small budget, and encourage first-time applicants, street artists and students to apply.”
Applications must be submitted before 8 April, with successful artists informed on 22 April.
The funding is coming from the £300,000 Southwark High Street Recovery Fund, which was set up following the Coronavirus pandemic outbreak to breathe new life in the borough’s high streets and town centres, while increasing footfall in the area.
Some of the objectives of the artistic scheme are to improve the local environment and support local businesses in the wake of the pandemic. Plus there will be an effort to ensure the graffiti promotes the wider Camberwell identity and cultural diversity of the area.
However, Camberwell Arts have also said they want to “enable new audiences to encounter art in the public realm” and “explore the potential of the arts to showcase this unique part of South London”.
“Through this pilot project, we aim to see if public art can help to prevent unauthorised graffiti and, in doing so, improve our shared public environment,” said Kelly Blaney Chair of Camberwell Identity Group and Trustee of Camberwell Arts.
“If successful, we will present an Open & Closed case to local businesses, encouraging them to commission their own shop shutter artworks and create a collective after-hours art gallery for Camberwell,” she added.
To apply for the scheme, send a copy of your artist statement / CV, six images of your work and a brief outline of how you will approach the project to camberwellartsfestival@gmail.com