**Cardiff’s Grim Street Furniture Receives a Creative Makeover Thanks to Community Art Initiative**
Across the city of Cardiff, a quiet but vibrant transformation is underway. Street utility boxes, formerly seen as unsightly graffiti targets, are gaining a new lease of life as colourful pieces of public art. From whimsical mermaids and astronauts to depictions of local wildlife, these previously neglected landmarks are becoming part of the city’s evolving cultural canvas.
The driving force behind this striking initiative is the City Art Project, spearheaded by Sean Thomas. By day, Thomas serves as a supervisor for Cardiff Council’s graffiti removal team. Frustrated by the seemingly endless task of repainting the same boxes and walls, only to see them immediately re-tagged, he decided to take action. Four years ago, he began developing the project as a voluntary effort outside his official duties, seeking to rethink the council’s approach to persistent graffiti.
Thomas recognised that a never-ending cycle of removal and repainting was squandering valuable city resources. “We were always being sent back to the same streets, painting over the same graffiti,” he recalls. At one point, while still scrubbing down a wall in Cathays, a tagger brazenly began marking it up again. This experience steered him towards a more inclusive solution—one that brings together artists, the community, and local businesses to change the face of Cardiff’s street infrastructure for the better.
Instead of simply attempting to erase graffiti, the City Art Project aims to deter it by transforming utility boxes into legitimate showcases for creativity. Under this voluntary scheme, both professional and amateur artists—spanning all ages and backgrounds—are invited to participate. For those without formal artistic training, stencils are readily available, and, crucially, all paint is provided at no cost courtesy of generous donations from local companies.
The project has already made a notable impact: Thomas estimates that nearly 100 spots across the city, from walls to those familiar green utility boxes, now boast unique art pieces. The designs are varied—one box outside Techniquest features a cosmic tableau, while Cardiff Bay’s Sainsbury’s car park is watched over by a painted mermaid. Community engagement forms the initiative’s beating heart, with utility boxes becoming collaborative canvases for schools, youth groups, and artists alike.
A recent success story emerged on Merches Gardens in Grangetown, where residents, in partnership with Grangetown Studios’ Jo Hartwig, helped turn three heavily graffitied boxes into vibrant art installations. Three local artists—Amy Hann, Efa Blosse-Mason, and Tad Davies—were each commissioned to create their own designs. Prior to painting, each ran a workshop in the community, working with art students and local schoolchildren to incorporate their ideas and creativity into the pieces.
The completed boxes reflect this collaborative spirit. Tad Davies’ box, for instance, is festooned with fantastical creatures and animals imagined by pupils from Ysgol Hamadryad in Butetown. Meanwhile, Efa Blosse-Mason’s design celebrates the much-loved Grangetown swans, a nod to local wildlife that frequently captures the community’s imagination.
Councillors Ash Lister and Lynda Thorne supported the initiative, securing additional funding from Rightacres and Cardiff Rotary Club. Their involvement helped ensure the artists had all the materials they needed, while reinforcing the project’s community-centric ethos.
Thomas is keen to emphasise that the scheme is open to everyone: “It can be done by anyone, kids or adults, individuals or groups, and so long as they’ve got the ideas, we can provide all the paints for free.” The project’s inclusive structure not only fosters creativity but, as he observes, also acts as a kind of social deterrent—once painted, street boxes are far less likely to be defaced again, benefiting both the city and the community.
For those interested in getting involved or wishing to learn more, the City Art Project encourages locals to reach out and become part of Cardiff’s evolving artistic landscape. In a city where bland street furniture once faded into the background—or worse, attracted repeated vandalism—this initiative offers a bright and inspiring alternative, reminding residents that creativity and collaboration can flourish in even the most unexpected places.