The Use Of Art & Creative Industry

THE USE OF ART & CREATIVE INDUSTRY Banksy’s Influence in Reading

To the delight of social media and Reading Town, a painting of a man escaping out of the prison has been left on the tall prison walls. Immediately suspected and later confirmed, it was the works of Banksy. Notoriously undercover in the depths of night, for us all to discover the next morning, the word spread quickly when Banksy had touched the town. Reading Council, MP Matt Rhodda and many residents and artists are already campaigning to transform the site into a cultural art space. ‘We are thrilled that Banksy appears to have thrown his support behind the council’s desire to transform the vacant Reading Gaol into a beacon of arts, heritage and culture’, a local authority spokesperson enthused. Banksy pledges to sell the stencil he used to paint the grade II listed building, to match the jail’s £10M asking price. Campaigners hope this move will prevent it being sold to housing developers. Banksy quoted that “the patron saint of smashing two contrasting ideas together to create magic,” adding: “Converting the place that destroyed him into a refuge for art feels so perfect we have to do it. The piece is oozing with history and politics, a passion and statement that the youth of Reading long for. There is literary history whilst it also represents LGBT community. For so many reasons it is vital this building is preserved and used in a constructive way. Banksy is offering a phenomenal deal and for the Ministry of Justice to turn it down would be considered a criminal act! There are open top bus tours taking people to see Banksy’s piece at the reading prison as well as stops at Caversham Bridge and the Oracle, celebrating the ongoing re-opening as Coronavirus restrictions ease. These tours are free and run by Reading buses.