OAPs’ school spray time

Graffiti: Pensioners and pupils celebrate diversity with a splash of colour

A drab wall has been transformed by a team of pensioners and children.

The Graffiti Granarchists worked with 240 pupils from Gilcomstoun School in Aberdeen to splash colour across the Skene Street wall.

The group had made headlines for their street art and were invited on to ITV’s This Morning programme to showcase their skills.

Secretary for the group and former head teacher,

“It’s great to see the area get a bit of life breathed into it”

Rosemary Murray, said: “This inter-generational team has been great and both groups have taught each other so much.

“We’ve taught them that street art is a great outlet for creativity and they have shown us just how well young and old can work together.”

Organiser Angela Joss said: “The piece is set to be a multicultural feature that will celebrate the diversity of the school, where there are 30 languages spoken by pupils.”

Children decorated the grey wall with words meaning “play” in their native tongues, alongside stencils they created depicting images of happiness.

The Skene Street Project has been a long-running effort from Aberdeen City Council to make the area more attractive.

Aberdeen Alcohol and Drug Action laid the foundations when they provided the whitewash canvas pupils started with yesterday morning.

With the partnership of pensioners and primary school pupils, the blank space became a colourful tableau as the day progressed.

Chairman Dustin Macdonald, who has two children at the school and who helped with the spray painting, said: “It’s great to see the area get a bit of life breathed into it, and the kids were really excited.

“Every child’s hand print features on the wall, giving them all ownership of this newly brightened space.”

The group, which was brought together for the city’s NuArt Festival, now has 13 members and, with the festival behind them, the Graffiti Granarchists are looking to continue their work across the city.

Members of the group are encouraging other people over the age of 65 to join them, and look forward to sharing their skills and love of art.

Photograph by Jim Irvine BRIGHT: Gilcomstoun pupil, Sara, was just one of many from the school to get painting with the Graffiti Granarchists.