London based urban arts group aims to turn basketball courts into giant works of art to promote grass roots basketball.
Last weekend visitors to the Walthamstow Garden party were asked to participate in creating the design for two basketball courts in Lloyd Park, Walthamstow, East London with the launch of a new arts project, Creative Courts.
Over 350 submissions on postcards were submitted over the weekend, with designs drawn on postcards and on a giant blackboard basketball court, inspired by Candy Chang's "Before I Die" project, where the community will be encourage to draw their designs in chalk, which were wiped down and started again every hour.
For young people between the ages of 11 and 15, basketball is the second largest team sport in the country after football however it receives nowhere near the same funding. Creative Courts project aims to help promote grass roots basketball as culture and creativity in public spaces, driven by the local community.
The Creative Courts toolkit, designed by London based design agency Bold & Bold is aimed to be used to help the community design and share their designs to be painted across multiple basketball courts in London and beyond, which also included creating basketball nets to be hung all across London. After Lloyd Park's makeover is complete, a second court in Thamesmead planned to be painted in 2019.
Take part with a chance to see your design painted onto a basketball court
People can take part by downloading our Creative Courts postcard.
Draw your designs and then:
- Share on social media with the hashtag #creativecourts OR
Shortlisted Designs to be chosen by the local community
All designs will be reviewed with a shortlist to be decided by funder William Morris Big Local, Waltham Forest Flames, ward councillors from London Borough of Waltham Forest, Bold and Bold, Friends of Lloyd Park & Wood Street Walls.
Additional Facts on the reach of basketball
Since London 2012, the proportion of adults who did no fitness sessions of at least 30 minutes in the previous month has increased to 57 per cent, according to Sport England. The decrease in physical activity has been greatest among the most disadvantaged socioeconomic groups. To inspire grassroots participation, shiny medals count for much less than maintaining local community sports facilities.
Every week, 175,000 people between 14 and 25 play, as many as play cricket and golf combined; 336,000 people aged 14 and above play in England at least once a month.
