NELSON STREET PROJECT SENDS RIPPLES ACROSS THE GLOBE
Tuesday, 27th September 2011
Bristol City Council Leader Barbara Janke has welcomed the immediate business and regeneration benefits that are arising from the Nelson Street art project.
Since the See No Evil street art initiative last month, news of its success continues to ripple out across the world, with organisations as far away as Budapest, India and the US getting in touch with Bristol to find out how to replicate the success of the festival. Discussions about how to further capitalise on the “Bristol and See No Evil brand”, have begun amongst Council reps and event organisers, including how we might export the brand overseas.
The number of people heading to Nelson Street as a destination has increased dramatically since the project. On the Saturday after the ‘bloc party’ nearly 10,000 people made the trip down Nelson Street to look at the art, and figures have increased by nearly 40% midweek.
The council’s markets manager, Steve Morris, has received several requests from traders wanting to set up stalls on Nelson Street due to the increase in footfall.
Business enquiries have also come in to take over the vacant retail unit owned by Unite, which has stood empty for over four years.
Council Leader Barbara Janke said: “There’s no doubt that we took a risk with the Nelson Street project, and the wider place making initiative. But the success of the event, and the benefits that are now emerging, prove that it pays to be a risk taking council.
“When the economy is suffering generally, it is important for councils to take steps like these to stimulate the city’s economy.
“This daring and entrepreneurial project has acted as a catalyst for change in this once unloved part of the city centre. Alongside the hugely successful opening of M Shed, Bristol now has a second major new attraction launched in just one summer, as well as the highly successful temporary Wow Gorillas.
“The Nelson Street project marked unprecedented level of co-operation between the council and property owners which can bring long-term benefit to regenerate this and other areas of the city.
“I’m delighted to hear we’ve had calls nationally and internationally from civic leaders and organisations wishing to hear about its success because they see the wider economic and urban regeneration impact such an initiative can generate.
“Bristol is leading the way by promoting one aspect of the city’s own unique character to a much wider audience to generate wider economic benefits.
“Given this positive feedback and how much it has appeared to have captured the imagination of Bristol we’re holding discussions this week to consider whether See No Evil should become an annual city event."
John Hirst who works alongside Broadmead retailers also agrees: “General feedback from our retailers and customers has been that this was a great boost to the city and generated increased footfall into our retail outlets, cafes and restaurants.
“One major international clothes retailer reported a 10% increase in Saturday sales, which managers put directly as a result of the See No Evil Bloc party.
“See No Evil has also helped us with our objective to move people effectively between The Centre/Harbourside in the west and Bristol’s main shopping heart eastwards towards Cabot Circus.”
John Hallett, Managing Director of Destination Bristol, the organisation tasked with driving city tourism said: “We have been really taken aback by the level of media interest that See No Evil has generated, not just in the UK but overseas. We have a number of additional media visits lined up over the next few months, by overseas travel journalists whose attention has been caught by the See No Evil project this summer. It's a great result for Bristol as a whole for we will expect these visits to result in valuable publicity not just for the street art, but for all the other things that people spend money on when they come here from shops and restaurants, to hotels and taxis.”
