“Street Art has always championed the oppressed, standing defiant in the face of injustice as the voice of the powerless. Street Artists are beacons of hope, champions of the struggles that many would rather ignore. They leave their mark on history, bearing witness to the issues that define our time. Their art echoes in our souls, whispering that hope is not lost, it was never lost.”
In 2016 Cities of Hope, became the first Street Art convention by bringing together nine of the worlds best street artists to the Northern Quarter of Manchester, inviting them to create work that expressed nine social justice issues. Their aim is, “to raise awareness of social issues, challenge injustice and champion the voice of the powerless.”
And their objectives are listed as:
- to provide opportunities for artists to raise awareness amongst the wider public of important social issues
- to profile artists whose work raises awareness of social issues
- to train and support aspiring artists to develop their skills and strengthen their networks
- to give a voice through the arts to communities whose stories otherwise are not toldto support grassroots organisations that seek to use art as a means of delivering their objectives
- to introduce the arts to wider audiences
- to strengthen relationships and build solidarity between communities
- to encourage people to visit neighbourhoods that face social stigma and have been marginalised
- to improve the visual aesthetics of communities, neighbourhoods, towns and cities where people live
In 2018 the project was extended to reach nine regions of Manchester and once again world class street artists were invited to come and make their mark, work with established social justice organisations and to highlight the many justice issues that the city was facing. The themes chosen were Voice, Conflict, Environment, Equality, Justice, Migration, Post Truths, Poverty and Technology
You can learn more about the project by visiting their website: