Martin Mullaney on his blog called Created in Birmingham brings news about a Graffiti Art Festival, to be held in Kings Heath Park on the weekend of 15th-16th March from 12 noon to 6pm each day.

From Martin’s blog:

A Graffiti Art Festival has been organized for Kings Heath Park on Saturday, Sunday 15th, 16th March – 12noon to 6pm.

The Festival is being jointly organized by Bishop Challoner School and In A City Arts, 21 York Road. The Festival is being funded from Community Chest Funds awarded by the Moseley and Kings Heath Ward Committee.

The Festival is part of a series of measures to move local teenagers from graffiti tagging, which upsets residents, to the legal form of graffiti art.

The tennis courts in Kings Heath Park will be filled with 75 meters of 8foot high boards. The next door basketball court will have ramps for skateboarders and BMX-ers. There will also be food and music.

Professional graffiti artists will be on hand to show off their skills and advise younger teenage artists – young people who wish to participate will be able to come along through booking a place through the new ‘INACITY Arts’ Graffiti shop on York Road who will give them a time slot and will manage the Graffiti element of the day itself. Teenagers who are known to be taggers will not be allowed to use the paint facilities.

There will also be a marque in case of poor weather

If the event is a success, then funds will be made available for more during the Spring and Summer.

Martin also announces that there will be a full time managed legal graffiti zone behind Kings Heath Baptist Church on the High Street opening in mid-March.