Southern Education & Library Board
Title: Site specific
Artform: Visual art
Organisation: Drumgor Detached Youth Work Project, Craigavon
Creative Partners: Kevin Killen (artist), Craigavon Borough Council Arts Development, Millennium Court Arts Centre, Millennium Court Markets, PSNI, NI Courts Service, Craigavon, High Street Mall, Portadown

Synopsis: A visual arts project in which young people from the Drumgor Detached Youth Work Project, Craigavon, transformed two cars donated by the PSNI. The cars, damaged in joy riding incidents, were used as canvasses by the young people, on which they painted images of their everyday lives and environment. During March and April 2005, Artist Kevin Killen worked alongside young people from the Drumgor detached Youth Work Project in looking at ways in which to create a sculptural artwork reflecting their everyday lives and activities. Following design meetings in which participants looked at different art forms (graffiti art etc…), the group agreed that a strong statement would be made by transferring images from their environment onto cars used in joyriding incidents. There followed a visit to the Will Simpson exhibition in the Millennium Court Art Centre, Portadown, in which the participants were inspired by comic book art and explored ways in which ‘scenes’ could be shot in telling their stories. During the following week the group captured images of their lives using disposable cameras. The PSNI made two cars available to the group.

Artist in Residence: During week beginning 9th May 2005, Kevin Killen worked as ‘Artist in Residence’ in the Millennium Court Markets, Portadown, alongside young people from the Drumgor Detached Youth Work Project. Photographic images were transferred onto the exhibited cars and painted using household paints.

Exhibition: The cars were exhibited in the High Street Mall Shopping Centre, Portadown and in the Northern Ireland Courts Service, Craigavon in May 2005, as part of youth court week.