Graffiti as a medium to teach and enthrall
Channel: Recording Archaeology
Date: 2015-10-28

Cara Jones1, Caroline Pudney2
1ARCHAEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2UNIVERSITY OF CHESTER
The validity of graffiti as an art form has at last become recognised and accepted by ‘establishment’, yet there are still many arguments about what to do with it. The act of graffiti is still filled with tension, with many questions and debates of what to do with the finished result. Within the heritage sector, there are still questions on how (if at all) we should record and conserve this form of cultural heritage and it often seems that it is the context of the site which can lead to the (often professional) decision of whether to record, preserve and value. Yet with controversy comes a unique opportunity to use this subversive art form to engage initially reluctant heritage audiences. This paper will present two different case studies, one based in Scotland and the other in Wales, of where graffiti has been used to engage with new heritage audiences. Both case studies have used graffiti as a modern medium to teach archaeological theory and practice to initially reluctant participants. By using this recent, relevant and recognisable heritage,
participants were able to identify with a cultural heritage that is immediate and relevant to their lives. With these case studies, graffiti was used as a gateway to further heritage work, but was additionally attributed new value by participants and professionals due it's status as a 'recorded event'.