Street art turned my town into a giant art gallery, and I couldn’t be happier

The street art festival Weston Wallz has genuinely improved the quality of life in Weston-super-Mare, and I think every town should have one.

Ten years ago, if you’d told me that my little seaside town (pop: 80,000) would become one of the South West’s premier outdoor galleries, I’d have looked at you a bit funny. Weston-super-Mare on the North Somerset coast wasn’t exactly known for its cultural scene: we were the place people came for donkey rides and fish and chips, not contemporary art.

Then came Dismaland, a temporary art exhibition created by Banksy and held in a disused lido on the seafront: a bizarre, dystopian twist on Disneyland. All of a sudden, the world’s media were on our doorstep, stars like Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise were flying in for a visit, and Pussy Riot and Fatboy Slim were performing on the beach. It was a rush.

Since then, the seeds sown by Dismaland have steadily grown, and it’s really changed our town for the better.

Read on as I explain how the annual Weston Wallz event has helped bring the place to life, and why—if nothing like this exists in your town—it might be an idea to start it.

What is Weston Wallz?

Picture this: every July, our town transforms into an open-air gallery as part of a nine-day street art festival. Organised by the team behind Bristol’s Upfest—Europe’s largest street art and graffiti festival—Weston Wallz brings together around 50 international and UK artists to create large-scale murals across our public and private buildings.

This year marks its fifth anniversary, and we now boast 75 murals scattered throughout the town. Because these aren’t temporary installations that disappear after a few weeks – they’re here to stay, and have become part of our daily landscape.

Artists have traveled from as far as Australia to contribute to this growing outdoor collection, with names like Sophie Odling, Dale Grimshaw, and L7Matrix this year adding their distinctive styles to everything from seafront pubs and shops to the walls of people’s private houses.

This year, there were free workshops where locals learned spray painting techniques, character drawing, and how to create their own mandalas on vinyl records. There were also guided street art tours revealing the stories behind each piece, and a “Sprayjam” where regional artists created masterpieces in front of people’s eyes in the town centre.

For me, it was that community focus that made Weston Wallz really special. It wasn’t just about international artists creating amazing work. It was also about projects with local youth groups, mentoring programs for emerging talent, and workshops designed to give voices to people, young and old, who might otherwise go unheard.

This wasn’t art imposed on a community. This was art created with and by the community.

Transforming the town

As someone who’s lived in Weston-super-Mare since 2006, watching our town transform through street art has been revolutionary.

These streets, once strewn with ugly graffiti tags, now feel like navigating a living, breathing gallery where every corner might reveal a new burst of colour, a thought-provoking image, a technically stunning piece of artwork.

The international calibre of work is staggering. L7Matrix’s vibrant abstract realism, HazardOne’s empowered imagery, Shauna’s emotionally resonant pieces… none of these would look out of place in major metropolitan galleries. Yet here they are, free for everyone to experience, ageing gracefully as part of our urban landscape, weathering salt, storms and sunshine alike.

Typically, art feels like something that happens in sterile galleries with white walls and hushed voices. But street art? It’s right there on your daily commute, greeting us as we walk to the shops, surprising us around familiar corners.

And it’s not just the young who love it. I’ve watched nonagenarian residents stop to admire a mural, pointing out details to their great-grandkids. I’ve seen teenagers taking selfies with the artwork, sharing it across social media. People have been positive across the board.

Economic impact

Tourism, too, has flourished as people from across the region and beyond visit specifically to see our outdoor gallery, follow the mural trail and enjoy our indie cafes and shops along the way. And it’s had a knock-on effect on the wider town too.

Once commonly described as “a shithole” by people in Bristol and Bath, Weston’s increasingly seen as a cool destination. Check out the gig listings and you’ll see more than a dozen bands playing on an average Friday or Saturday; not bad for a town of 80,000 people.

Property values have been climbing, too, and that’s no coincidence. Recent research suggests that Brits are willing to pay an average of £8,500 extra for homes in areas with vibrant street art.

I don’t work for the tourist board, by the way, and the aim of this article isn’t to boost Weston specifically. My point is that if street art can make such a massive difference to the atmosphere of and prospects of my town, just think what it could do for yours.

Example to follow

If you’re reading Creative Boom, chances are you have some kind of creative skills or experience already. So why not make the leap to street art and start creating amazing artwork on the biggest canvases that exist today?

If you don’t want to go it alone, try exploring local groups, festivals, or online communities focused on street art. Consider reaching out to organizations like Upfest in Bristol, London Mural Festival, Southend City Jam in Southend-on-Sea, Worcester Paint Festival, Bring the Paint in Leicester or Yardworks in Glasgow.

Festivals like this typically rely on volunteers, which can be a great way to understand the scene, meet artists, and learn about the logistics. They’ll also offer workshops where you can learn about spray painting and street art techniques.

Once you’ve got your head around it all, start looking for open calls for submissions. Then, over the long term, why not consider launching an event of your own? If my experience is anything to go by, the locals will thank you, and it’ll help make the UK a more beautiful, fun and culturally exciting place.

The walls are waiting. The only question is: what story will you help them tell?