The idea
A Community Art meets Sport Project helping to promote the need for greater investment and engagement in grass roots basketball in the UK and specifically in the Essex region.
My aim is to re-imagine an unloved, under-used and poorly maintained outdoor public basketball court in Viaduct Road Park in Chelmsford, Essex by renovating it and installing an exciting and vibrant large-scale work of art on the court and hoop surfaces, in order to reengage the community, promote the sport of basketball whilst inspiring play, health and well-being and strengthen connections through the proven benefits of exercise and engagement with the arts, culture and creativity in a public space.
What we'll deliver
- Repair and Rejuvenate the basketball court surface
- Repair and Rejuvenate the basketball hoop and backboard and add official court lines
- Turn the court and hoop into an engaging and exciting piece of art
Why it's a great idea
Basketball is the second most popular team sport (after football) in the UK for 11-15 year olds, with 32% of children participating.
336,000 people aged 14-25 or above play basketball in the UK at least once a month - AS MANY as play cricket and golf combined.
However it receives nowhere near the same funding.
Basketball is extraordinarily good at engaging underprivileged communities: 18% of basketball clubs are located in the most deprived areas of the UK, DOUBLE the figure for cricket, rugby, netball or
hockey clubs.
Over HALF of adult participants are from ethnic minorities (BEM), more than any other major sport in The UK.Between 11-15, 40% per cent of basketball players are female, almost DOUBLE the number for football.
Pound for pound, perhaps no sport does more social good in Britain.
Public Art is perfect and affects communities positively, it reaches people when they’re not expecting it. By transforming public basketball courts into bold, beautiful and unique works of art.
Steps to get it done
- Buying the paints and equipment I need
- Commissioning The Line Marking Company
Each year an estimated 80 million of the 414 million litres of paint sold in the UK (retail and trade) goes to waste [enough to fill 50 Olympic-sized swimming pools]. This paint is thrown into landfill or just stored, despite over 50% of it still being usable. That bothers me!
My aim whilst putting the paint to good use for our project is to waste as little of it as possible, minimising the amount of paint entering the
waste stream, through careful product use and specification To use water-based paints when possible which are as effective as regular paint but contain no toxic substances.
Also, it would be beneficial for the local basketball community to participate and help in painting the court art too.
