Star date: 28th September 2013

GRAFFITI PICNIC TODAY FOR SALFORD MUSIC FESTIVAL

Graffiti Picnic
Saturday 28th September 2pm free
Fairbrother Street, Ordsall

Salford's world famous ever changing Graffiti Wall in Ordsall – the one that Salford Council has tried its best to destroy – is being celebrated by the, er, Salford Council-backed Salford Music Festival today, with a special Graffiti Picnic as part of the Salford Hip-Hoperative's free day of hip hop and urban culture.

Full details here…

Salford Council has tried its damnedest to destroy one of the most cultured places in the city – a long art covered wall running by the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal between Manc city centre and MediaCityUK.

Salford Council is desperate to make the area into an `aspirational walkway' and has budgeted over £1million for an `Ordsall River Park' (see previous Salford Star article – click here), within which was £15,000 for `graffiti removal'.

The Council painted over all of the wall - except for its own graffiti `art' glorifying local councillors of course - and two private walls which are now legendary legal graffiti sites that attract artists from all over the North West and beyond.

Meanwhile the art walls that were vandalised by the Council attracted rubbish graffiti done by any dick with a spray can and the place looked well worse than before (see previous Salford Star article – click here and  click here). Gradually, however, proper artists have been reclaiming the space and it's starting to get back to what it was – while the ill-conceived `aspirational walkway', despite huge amounts of money set aside for its creation, is nowhere in sight.

Today, from 2pm, Salford's Graffiti Wall is finally being recognised for what it is, a stunning example of urban culture. And is being put on as part of the ironically Salford Council-backed, Salford Music Festival. Perhaps someone could do some arse and elbow art.

The Graffiti Picnic, at the Fairbrother Street site in Ordsall, is `a legal graffiti tour/picnic at the sunny Irwell Riverside site', and is being organised by the Salford Hip-Hoperative. It's definitely the most happening art event at the whole Festival – and if you've never seen Salford's Graffiti Wall there's never been a better time…

Graffiti Picnic
Saturday 28th September 2pm free
Fairbrother Street, Ordsall
It's off Ordsall Lane, about 300 yards further up from Ordsall Hall towards Manchester.

* The Graffiti Picnic is followed tonight by a free open mic hip hop night at The Crescent, starring loads of Salford's finest DJs and Mcees, with projections of some of the best art from the Graffiti Wall. For more details click here

Further details at www.salfordmusicfestival.co.uk