Top street artists paint decks in aid of rural skatepark

More than 20 skateboards painted and sprayed with unique designs are being auctioned to raise funds for a skatepark in a Wiltshire market town.

Skater Idris Jones, 13, from Bradford-on-Avon, started the campaign after previous ramps were demolished.

He said local youngsters are currently forced to skate in car parks which can be "dangerous".

Renowned street artists like Inkie, Will Barras, Mr Jago and China Mike have specially designed decks.

Idris, who was nine when he started campaigning for the park, said: "Skating is my whole life. It pushes you forwards, it gets you out of the house.

"Now I end up in car parks which are pretty dangerous.

"All young people have to do here is go to a park or a field. This skatepark would be a big thing."

Callum Eaton, based in Bath and a graduate of Goldsmith's College, used oil paints to create the baguette-themed "Making Dough".

He said: "I've grown up skateboarding, I understand how important a good park is. It's a great place to make friendships, and a good way for adolescents to take out frustrations."

"Oil paintings can last for 500 years, longer than I'm alive. I wanted to immortalise it."

Internationally-renowned artist Victoria Topping, whose daughter skates, also hand-painted a board.

She said she was "inspired by the lockdowns" and "needed to escape by accessing my imagination."

Contemporary artist Olly Howe, based in Cornwall, sells his work all over the world. He is a skateboarder, and says it was a "no-brainer" when he was asked to help.

"A skate park in any town helps children to focus their energies in a positive way, which is particularly important given what's been going on."

Stanley Donwood, who does all the artwork for the band Radiohead and the Glastonbury Festival, also donated a print.

Matt Richards is a commercial illustrator who used to head up the design and product team for a major skate brand. He moved to Bradford-on-Avon six years ago.

"On my local dog walks I keep seeing a kingfisher on the Avon. It really is the brightest flash of blue you ever see in nature. And the quickest. Blink and you'll miss it, so I've tried to capture those moments in time," he said.

Idris first approached Bradford-on-Avon Town Council with his dad, Carl, when the original ramps were closed.

The new skatepark will cost £280,000 to build. About £100,000 has been provided by the town council, and £10,000 raised by the community.

The new facility could also be used for BMXing and scooters.

Skate Bradford-on-Avon spokesperson and town councillor, Kate Bessant, said: "We are really grateful that so many artists have donated their work to the project.

"We hope to raise thousands of pounds from the auction, to bring us closer to our target of building the new skate park that Bradford-on-Avon so desperately needs."

Skateboard GB has reported a surge in interest in skateboard lessons since 13-year-old Sky Brown won an Olympic bronze medal in August.

The auction opens at 18:00 BST on 4 September, and ends at midnight on 19 September. The decks up for auction can be viewed here.

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