City's street art history celebrated at festival

Kate Cox said this year the festival wanted to reach wide across the city

Organisers of a street art festival said they hoped the event would showcase the history of paint.

Worcester Paint Festival returns to the city on Saturday with a host of activities from live painting shows, art history tours and workshops.

New murals will be unveiled across the city and artists will give old pieces a fresh coat of paint during the one day event.

Director Kate Cox said the street art scene in the city had been established since the 1980s and this years festival would focus on making art more accessible for people to enjoy. It would be more widely spread across the city, she added.

"There was and is a big street art scene here, going right back into the 80s and that's what some of our displays are about," she said.

"People still talk about it, are positive and really embrace it."

"This year we've really focused on communities. We're taking some of our headliners up to Dines Green and on more of the outskirts of the city," she said.

"We're spreading out more and I know that might not be everyone's cup of tea however we feel very passionately that murals are for everybody and not just for the city centre.

"Times are hard so I think it's right that we are brightened up, made to smile and people are given things that can make them feel warm and part of something to have ownership over their area."