Guidelines For Legal Graffiti Art Sites
- Definition
- Site Identification
- Site Parameters and Demarcation
- Site Usage
- Notification
- Site Monitoring
- Additional Conditions
1. Definition
For the purpose of these guidelines, legal graffiti art sites are ACT government assets in urban open spaces (eg. skate parks, underpasses and toilet blocks), identified and demarcated in accordance with these guidelines, as sites available for ongoing use by graffiti writers/artists for the development of a piece(s) of artwork in the graffiti style or for general graffiti writing. The work featured at these sites may change, is dynamic.
Legal graffiti art sites differ from community art sites (murals), in being available for ongoing work by graffiti artists. Community art sites feature fixed (semi-permanent) works or murals that may be in the graffiti art style.
Parks, Conservation and Land administer the Legal Graffiti Art Site program.
2. Site Identification
Sites identified as potential legal graffiti walls are government assets in urban open spaces. These sites are located where there are a limited number of private residences with a direct line of sight of the potential site.
Proposed sites are subject to a site suitability and risk assessment undertaken by Parks, Conservation and Land and community consultation, in accordance with these guidelines.
Legal graffiti art sites are approved by the Manager, Catchment and Environmental Management, Asset Maintenance, Parks, Conservation and Land.
2.1 Community Consultation
Where there is a clear line of site from a private residence or other private property to the proposed site, the residents and property owners will be notified in writing of the proposed site and given three (3) weeks to respond.
Where a resident(s) or property owner(s) who has a clear and direct line of vision of a proposed site from their residence or property, object to the proposed site, the site will not proceed unless the objection is withdrawn following discussion of concerns.
Where this procedure for community consultation has been followed, later complaints about an approved site will be respectfully considered. However, Parks, Conservation and Land will not be under any obligation to remove or relocate the site.
3. Site Parameters and Demarcation
Parameters of a site will be determined by Parks, Conservation and Land in accordance with the procedures for site identification and community consultation outlined above.
Details of the location and parameters of each site will be published on the PARKS & PLACES website and provided to relevant stakeholders as part of the notification process outlined below.
All legal graffiti art sites will be marked with a Parks, Conservation and Land sign(s) specifying that the site is a legal graffiti art site.
A legal graffiti art site sign specifies that the whole wall surface on which the sign is located, and only that surface, is a legal graffiti art site, unless otherwise specified. If more than one wall surface in a given location is a legal graffiti art site, than each wall surface will be marked with a legal graffiti art site sign.
Walls not marked with a Parks, Conservation and Land legal graffiti art site sign, even if in close vicinity to a legal site, are not a legal graffiti art site.
Where the parameters for a legal graffiti art site determined by Parks, Conservation and Land do not extend to the whole wall surface, the parameters of the site will be demarcated by a Parks, Conservation and Land boundary sign that specifies the boundaries of the legal site. Work beyond this boundary is not part of the legal graffiti art site.
4. Site Usage
Legal graffiti art sites are available to all graffiti writers/artists. Sites are available for use on an ongoing basis.
Graffiti writers/artists are encouraged to negotiate site usage amongst themselves and to respect other people’s right to use the site and other people’s artwork.
Artists using legal sites are bound by the conditions of use outlined within these guidelines.
4.1 Guidelines For the Artistic Use of the Site
Legal graffiti art sites may be used for the development of a piece of artwork in the graffiti style or for general graffiti writing, including tagging.
Sites covered in a large amount of tagging, will be routinely painted out by Parks, Conservation and Land, on the judgement of Parks, Conservation and Land, to enable the continuing use of the site for graffiti art.
Work that is considered offensive is not permitted on legal graffiti sites. Offensive means racist, sexist, otherwise prejudice, contains crude language, depicts graphics of a sexual or violent nature, or contains a persons details
Work that is considered offensive must be removed within 24hrs of Parks, Conservation and Land being notified of the offensive graffiti. Where possible the artist(s) using a legal graffiti site will be consulted about the removal of offensive graffiti from the site, before the graffiti is removed by Parks, Conservation and Land.
Sites that are regularly subject to offensive work may be removed from the legal graffiti site program.
4.2 Guidelines For Site Management and Maintenance By Site User
The area shall be managed in an orderly and safe manner. When vacated it should be left in a clean and tidy condition.
Costs related to the development of the artwork at the site will be borne by the graffiti artist(s).
5. Notification
The following stakeholders will be provided with a map designating all legal sites and legal site parameters:
Australian Federal Police (ACT Policing)
City Rangers
Graffiti Cleaning Contractors
These authorities will be provided with updated site information and maps as appropriate.
Graffiti artists will be notified of the location of legal graffiti art sites and guidelines for site usage through a process determined in consultation with graffiti artists.
The public will be notified of the location of legal graffiti art sites and guidelines for site usage via the TAMS website (www.tams.act.gov.au) and through additional community awareness campaigns as deemed appropriate by Parks, Conservation and Land.
6. Site Monitoring
Parks, Conservation and Land graffiti cleaning contractors or sports ground rangers will inspect legal graffiti sites weekly for offensive work and to assess the level of tagging at the site. Offensive work on a legal graffiti site must be reported to Parks, Conservation and Land and will only be removed following a direction from Parks, Conservation and Land. Parks, Conservation and Land should be made aware of sites with a large amount of tagging. Sites with a large amount of tagging will be painted out on a regular basis at the direction of Parks, Conservation and Land.
7. Additional Conditions
Parks, Conservation and Land reserves the right to change the status of legal sites or make changes to these guidelines at any time.
For further information see contact details below.
These guidelines do not refer to assets managed by other government agencies. Whilst other government agencies may provide sites for graffiti artists to use on an ongoing basis, management of these sites is the responsibility of the asset manager.