THE latest project by renowned Peterborough-based graffiti artist Nathan Murdoch has seen a dingy Hampton underpass transformed, thanks to local city councillor Nicolle Moyo and a grant of £3,500 from Police and Crime Commissioner Darryl Preston.
The grant came from the commissioner's Youth Fund, enabling Street Arts for Hire to work with local youngsters to create a colourful design reflecting many of their ideas and passions. Nicolle started the ball rolling as a way of reducing anti-social behaviour in this pedestrian route linking Cygnet Park and Serpentine Green. "Residents had told me they felt anxious using the underpass which is poorly lit, with offensive graffiti and discarded rubbish," she said. As an advocate for young people she approached Darryl, Nathan and Romsey Mill, a Cambridgeshire-based charity which has worked in Hampton since 2017.
The result was a fabulous project that saw Nathan and his team set up workshops to create a design, which was then brought to life with help from the charity's art group. Lead youth development worker Dave Read told us: "This was a wonderfully uplifting and positive project, a great opportunity for our young people to create local art with meaning. Helping with the week-long painting session was a rare opportunity to watch the 'masters' at work while being taught about different techniques and styles used in graffiti art."
Nicolle is delighted with the results, which she hopes will encourage young people across the Hamptons to be more aware of their community and take pride in where they live. She plans to explore a similar project for an underpass that runs along Buckthorn Road to Hempsted.
Photo: Police and Crime Commissioner Darryl Preston (right) with ward councillors Nicolle Moyo, John Howard and Mohammed Farooq
