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Art Festival skips year ahead of 10th anniversary

Ben Marvell
BBC News, West of England
Andy Dice Davies a muddy car park with painted boards strewn on the ground, artworks on upright boards and large puddles in the background with metal fencing and cars to the right Andy Dice Davies
North Place car park has been a regular venue for the festival over the last decade

The organiser of an acclaimed local street-art festival has announced that it won't be going ahead this year.

In a Facebook post, Cheltenham Paint Festival organiser Andy Dice Davies said that the cancellation was partly due to the dismantling of one of the festival's main sites.

It was announced in August last year that North Place car park would be demolished to make way for a new housing development just north of the town centre.

But Mr Dice Davies said that he he intends to bring the festival back for its 10th anniversary next year, but on a smaller scale.

Andy Dice Davies An artwork on a wall with the words Corona Virus and a golden crown in the style of tiling - weeds, crumbling plaster and red bricks also visible Andy Dice Davies
Artwork produced for the festival ranged from the surreal, to the realistic, to satire

In the social media post, he wrote that the location "had been crucial to the festival's success and holds some great memories for myself and the team".

"It's a huge loss to the Cheltenham Paint Festival and I'm currently working on something to replace it for future events," he said.

Andy Dice Davies A large blue eye painted on a grey wall with extended eye-lashesAndy Dice Davies
The festival featured a variety of artworks on local buildings and other structures

He added that "due to the loss of this amazing spot and with our 10 year anniversary next year, I have decided to concentrate on next year's event and to not hold the festival this year".

"I am intending on going back to our roots and hold a smaller jam though."

Andy Dice Davies boards with artwork on them lying on barren wasteground with a brick wall in the backgroundAndy Dice Davies
The North Place site is in the process of being redeveloped with the murals being torn down

Speaking with BBC Radio Gloucestershire's Graham Rogers, he added that the festival would never have grown as it had without local support.

"It began with a group of friends and I going and painting the tunnel in on the Honeybourne line.

"There used to be a mural on the other side, it was looking a bit of a mess. So I went to the council and said, the next time we paint, can we paint down the other side?"

With council support, the event expanded with artists coming from Birmingham, Bristol and further afield, before Andy was able to realise his vision for a town-centre festival.

"I always wanted to have some big pieces around the town, so I went to the council and asked if we could expand into a fully-fledged festival.

"Fortunately, it was taken very well, and people seem to really like having a splash of colour around the neighbourhoods."

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