Wild Walls Art Festival, involving Ipswich Central, Art Eat and The Subversiv Collective, secures £100,000 from Arts Council England

New art created by young people is set to decorate the streets of Ipswich after securing £100,000 in funding.

A partnership involving Ipswich Central Business Improvement District (BID), Art Eat and The Subversiv Collective has secured support from Arts Council England.

The funds will allow them to work with people aged 14 to 30, who will liaise with local artists to create new murals and other forms of public arts throughout the town centre.

The project, known as Wild Walls Art Festival, will also feature virtual reality workshops plus an exhibition for visitors at the University of Suffolk, a print fair, cinema screenings, live art workshops and music events.

Iona Hodgson from Art Eat, who will manage the programme alongside partners, encouraged youngsters to get involved.

Iona said: “As an arts organisation with a community focus, we feel that producing a street art festival programme is a great opportunity for the young people of Ipswich”

Lee Walker, the BID’s new chief executive, described it as an exciting project that it was happy to support as a celebration of art, culture and creativity.

“Creative visual projects like this enhance the vibrancy of a town, drive footfall and reduce tagging,” he said.

“We cannot wait to see the impact it has on the town centre.”

Once complete, a new walking trail of the art installations will be produced for residents and visitors, telling the story behind their creation.

Art Eat was responsible for the mural on the side of DanceEast’s building.

Claudia West, Arts Council England’s interim director for the East area, said it was delighted to support the scheme.

It promised to involve young people in inspiring artistic experiences and benefit the town’s cultural landscape, she said.

Claudia added: “By engaging young people with established professional artists, we hope to nurture the next generation of creative talent.”