Exhibition Statement: Stolen

Anna-Marie Gallares: Stolen

 

I based my Art in Society solo exhibition on an issue locally at Blakelaw, Newcastle. The construction of a new football/sports hub in Blakelaw Park disregarded the voice of local young people to achieve its aims and resulted in the demolition of their skatepark.

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Further consultations were promised but never materialised, and the focus has since been on controlling anti-social behaviour around the site. We acknowledge the build will generally be a good thing for Blakelaw. However, the facts speak for themselves on how the matter has been handled. The young people who wanted the skatepark to remain have lost.

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I have worked with the youth organisation Project4Change (based in the Blakelaw/Cowgate area) as an ex Change Maker Volunteer. When I achieved my level 2 in Youth Work, I currently used this award to work as a community artist leading art sessions with the young people.

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This issue in Blakelaw Park has been discussed since 2019 when I was a volunteer in the organisation. However, the physical demolition of the skatepark and playground began in January 2022 with the construction of the sports hub.