Mar 24 2004

By The Huddersfield Daily Examiner

IT'S AN opportunity that plenty of high-achieving university students would walk barefoot over red-hot coals for.

But a month's work experience at prestigious Attik design agency is on offer only to a local teenager who's handy with a spray can or marker pens.

It's the ultimate prize in a big graffiti competition, planned to take place in August.

Greenhead Park is set to be the venue for a day-long event, possibly to tie in with the annual Lark In The Park activities.

And young street artists will take centre stage.

Outreach worker Dan Dearnley, of Drug Sense, which is part of Lifeline Kirklees, is behind the project.

He's been working with Holmfirth teenagers in an effort to curb a rising tide of graffiti and vandalism in the town.

He says: "Residents, police and school representatives all say there's a big problem with graffiti, under-age drinking and drugs in Holmfirth.

"And I hope this competition will help change things."

He's teamed up with a group of about 30 teenagers, aged 13 to 19, to organise the summer event, to feature live music from metal and punk bands, and skateboarding.

They're now planning the extravaganza. Big boards are set to be assembled to display the work.

Dan says: "Young people complain that adults don't appreciate the skill that goes into graffiti and they're right.

"They say there's a difference between graffiti and vandalism but most don't see it.

"This will give parents and grandparents, and anyone else, a chance to see how skilled graffiti can be.

"I hope that creating a platform to show off the best street artists around will mean they're not as eager to write on other people's property."

The latest trend in "tagging" - writing your nickname - is to etch it into shop window glass, using a carpet knife.

Traders, understandably, have been angered by the craze.

Holmfirth's young graffiti scrawlers are already excited about the prospect of the competition and its big prize - but they know their part of the bargain is to stop drawing, writing and spray painting in places where they shouldn't.

Operations director at world-renowned Attik, Hilary Robinson, says the company's base in Fitzwilliam Street, Huddersfield, has been targeted with graffiti.

But she adds: "We want to help youngsters channel their talents into something positive.

"That's why we're offering this month's experience here.

"We get lots of requests and have to turn many hopeful would-be graphic designers down. But we're holding this place open for the winner of this competition."

Andy Wood, of the Wisdom skate shop in Market Avenue, Huddersfield, is also supporting the contest.

He accepts that some of the spray paint he sells will be used in places where it shouldn't.

And he thinks the graffiti problem will only be quelled when the authorities give young street artists a "legal" wall on which they can work - a space set aside for colourful graffiti art.

Andy says: "They have `legal' walls in Leeds, Bradford and Halifax, I don't see why we can't have one here."

* If you have ideas or opinions about the proposed competition, e-mail daniel.dearnley@lifelinekirklees.org.uk, call 01484 353353 or 07730 623864.