In 2008, Michael Bell was brutally attacked while walking through Mitchells Plain. “I was approached by two guys, knocked to my mouth with a gun. I almost lost my front teeth. I had a cut to my throat. The next thing I know I was in hospital,” Bell recalls. Situated on the Cape Flats, the South African township is notorious for crime and gang activity which has left many residents despondent. But not Bell. “I said to myself, ‘Either I hate them, or do something about it’,” he says. Alongside his wife Natasha, Bell started PAINT. The initiative brings together artists in the Mitchells Plain community to clean, upgrade and beautify public spaces. As a result of their efforts, an open-air art gallery that spans over two kilometres alongside one of Mitchells Plain’s busiest roads is in the works.
Understanding the link between crime and the state of public spaces is part of Bell’s work as a community placemaker. “Being a community placemaker is about changing places into spaces and making it more attractive to the community and drawing community to the public space,” he explains. For Bell, who has always had a creative streak, the use of art to improve a space and the people that reside there was a no-brainer. But getting others on board initially proved to be a struggle. “We are so used to the bland walls, the gang tags, and also the unserviced parks, so it was difficult at first getting the community involved,” Bell explains. Yet now, locals regularly join him in his projects which are spread across Mitchells Plain. “We have people coming and going, some of them find employment as painters, as artisans, because of their opportunities that they have through PAINT,” Bell says. For most, it’s a chance to steer themselves from negative influences that lead to crime and find kinship in a positive shared experience. “Art helped me, it changed my life and it took me from the streets,” one of the PAINT volunteers says. “We are interested in keeping our community beautiful and keeping kids away from gangs and drugs,” one of the local moms adds.
What began as a mural art project has grown into a grand artistic endeavour. “Instead of just one mural, we’re creating an entire street art gallery for everyone to enjoy,” Bell says. Alongside local community members, well-known street artists including Mak1One have made their mark on their walls of Mitchells Plain. While gang violence is still rife in the neighbourhood, Bell and his creative crew continue to fight back. “In the hands of the community, a paintbrush can be more powerful than any weapon,” he says. “Painting and adding colour to these walls has instilled a deep sense of pride in the community.” Now, abandoned fields and walls once covered with graffiti tags have become vibrant spaces that tell the stories of the people in this community and make them feel, above all else, safe. “When you are proud of something, you’d want to protect it,” Bell says.
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