The National Lottery caught up with Executive Director John O’Connell from The Walls Project CLG to find out how it evolved from a small project to an impactful social enterprise.
National Lottery players have helped fund a unique art project in Co Waterford – can you tell us a little more?
Sure thing – you might have heard about the Waterford Walls Festival? It began as street art project, but it has evolved to become The Walls Project CLG. We are a social enterprise that delivers large-scale public artworks and community projects across Ireland – and offer young people a way to showcase their skills by engaging them in different ways.
That sounds very cool!
It is. The project has transformed forlorn and largely neglected areas by creating spaces for artists and communities to connect and thrive. We nurture the development of Irish and international artists and celebrate street art as a powerful tool in urban regeneration. Highlights of the project over the past 10 years include not only spectacular works in Waterford but a series of historic murals in New Ross and for Dún Laoghaire County Council’s Anseo Festival.
How did The Walls Project all come about?
About 10 years ago, a group of volunteers came together to see what we could do to improve parts of Waterford city which had become a bit run down in the midst of Ireland’s post-2008 economic crash. We took inspiration from great street art around the world and got to work. The original Waterford Walls street art festival took place in 2015.
So, is everyone involved a street artist?
No, not at all! The project has been super successful because it has embraced so many different skillsets. As well as street artists, the project’s volunteers now include people such as accountants, solicitors, professionals with valuable arts and theatre experience and PR and media professionals, all coming together to pool ideas and drive the Walls Project forward.
Good ideas need funding – how have National Lottery players helped the team at The Walls?
We have been so grateful to receive part-funding from the National Lottery through the Arts Council. We have reinvested the money into ongoing projects and development. National Lottery players have made it possible for the team to develop direct engagement with the community – and especially young people.
Young people thrive on that sort of creativity, don’t they?
They absolutely love it. The Walls project has engaged young people and the wider community through schools and outreach projects. It’s no exaggeration to say the project has a shared bond between the art world and local primary and secondary schools. In our hands-on street art workshops, students can try materials that they have never used before in a safe, inclusive and informative classroom environment.
So, does street art open a door to different career possibilities?
Absolutely, yes. In helping to educate people about the power of street art, the project highlights a pathway to the art world for young students, from a magnitude of backgrounds. Since our early days, we have held street art workshops for young people of all ages. It enhances young people’s sense of contentment, belonging and feeling of being valued, which contributes to an increase in self-esteem and self-confidence, creativity and general wellbeing. They also learn the type of transferable skills needed to help them transition from students to employable individuals.
Thanks to National Lottery players, The Walls has been able to do other stuff too?
Yes, our creative agency has four pillars of work which consist of the annual Waterford Walls festival; delivering public and private art commissions across Ireland; engaging with communities and students via community and educational outreach workshops; and engaging in artistic exchanges and collaborations focused on connecting diverse cultures and communities both in Ireland and internationally. For Waterford Walls, a festival hub area was added, dedicated to connecting the community, welcoming visitors and springboarding local talent – and achieving a deeper level of community engagement.
There have been some standout moments in the project’s history….
Loads! But here’s one – this year, we completed a phenomenal turnaround of Bridge Street in Waterford city, a previously run-down thoroughfare in need of some TLC. Now, the street’s façade, spanning some seven different buildings, has been beautifully transformed through street art!
