Young people gave our buildings a new look through a graffiti project

March 18, 2021

Grasping Graffiti The idea for the project was born a little over a year ago from the thought of what graffiti is and why it is done. This was followed by discussions about what is art and what is actually vandalism? How to understand this and make it clear to others?

From there, a graffiti-themed project made its way to the European Solidarity Corps project competition. The project received funding, and numerous events have been organized within its framework, primarily for young people. We participated in a training session led by street artists SÄNK and Bach Babach. The first artist introduced us to the origins of graffiti and how the culture of tagging, or drawing names, began; there, we had our first practice session with a smaller group.

This summer, together with the Tartu Youth Work Center, we organized an open graffiti workshop for everyone on Tartu Car-Free Avenue, where all interested participants could try their hand at freehand drawing.

At the most recent training, street artist Bach Babach spoke about his experience and familiarized us with the general Estonian graffiti scene. Also, through a discussion circle, we clarified what should be painted in the city. However, it is neither polite nor reasonable to paint over someone's freshly painted fence, and we discovered that there are also places where it is not possible to reach a consensus.

During the project, the Grasping Graffiti team has given a new look to the wall next to Lille Youth Centre, the Ilmatsalu Xbox room, and the front door of Anne Youth Centre.

The project is supported by the SA Archimedes Youth Agency from the European Solidarity Corps program.

The European Solidarity Corps is a new European Union program that gives young Europeans and organizations the opportunity to jointly build a more caring society by responding to societal challenges in the fields of education, culture, youth work, environment, social services, human rights, and others.

The Solidarity Corps project is an ideal opportunity to learn teamwork, gain new experiences, and give back to the community at the same time.

Additional information:

Kaisa Saluste

Kaisa.Saluste@raad.tartu.ee

+372 53 088 999

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