Public Transport Authority 'Right Track' Urban Art Program

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Picture of PTA staff with urban art.

Graffiti is an ongoing and expensive problem faced not only by the Public Transport Authority (PTA), but the entire community. 

The PTA spends $2.5 million annually cleaning up after vandals who systematically deface assets provided for the benefit of the whole community.

In 2008, after extensive youth consultation, the PTA, through their community education program Right Track, began the Urban Art program – a targeted project involving young people working with internationally-recognised public artists to transform graffiti hotspots into legitimate works of art.

The PTA acknowledges there is a huge difference between self-expression in urban art; and graffiti with the express purpose of being a destructive vandal. 

The Urban Art program consists of a series of workshops facilitated by an artist where young people learn the difference between vandalism and art, have the opportunity to build on existing skills and learn about potential career pathways, as well as work towards a unit of competency for their Certificate II in General Education for Adults (CGEA).

Program aims:

  • Support early or at-risk graffiti offenders to build skills and engage in a positive way with PTA staff and professional artists
  • Encourage young people to participate in the beautification of their community by helping to transform graffiti hotspots into public works of art 
  • Increase awareness of the dangers present while trespassing for graffiti and engage young people in positive safety messaging
  • Introduce young people to potential career pathways
  • Motivate young people to think about the impact their actions have on others
  • Reduce the likelihood of the program sites being targeted again in the future. 

The results:

The program has transformed 34 graffiti hotspots over the course of the ten years it has been running. It has been highly effective at stopping tagging and graffiti vandalism at those sites, in some cases the murals have not been vandalised since they were installed over ten years ago.

Community feedback has been extremely positive with over 80% of residents adjacent to the rail line interviewed as part of the pilot approving of the program as it discourages graffiti, is visually appealing and keeps young people occupied.

 

For further information visit the Right Track website.