In 2015, famed graffitti artist Banksy opened what he called a 'bemusement park' (for 'amusement park' - geddit?), entitled Dismaland (for 'Disneyland' - geddit again?)

This brilliant piece of AgitArt was only open from August 22nd to September 27th 2015, so when you see this page, it will already have become history. But then that's Banksy for you ... part of the fundamental principle of graffitti is that it is ephemeral, not permanent, and so can't be commercialised. Or can it...?

About Banksy

A basic fact about Banksy is that he (or she?) has rigorously protected his anonymity. Note the following from the Wikipedia entry:-

Banksy's name and identity remain unknown, but a commonly cited 2008 Mail on Sunday investigation of several former schoolmates and associates that he is believed to be a former pupil at the public Bristol Cathedral School. There has also been speculation that Banksy is a woman, or that Banksy is a team of seven artists. In October 2014 an internet hoax circulated that Banksy had been arrested and his identity revealed. It has been stated that the reason for this secrecy is that graffiti is a crime.

You should have a look at the Banksy Wikipedia entry. Notice that this gives detailed and comprehensive information about Banksy's work in graffitti, sculpture, film, and satirical social commentary, but has virtually no information about Banksy's personal private life.This is in itself remarkable (in a world where Facebook is dedicated to making everyone's private life as public as possible) ... and paradoxical (in that Banksy is a celebrity about whom nothing is known, apart from the work he produces). But let's not forget the simple practical reason indicated in the Wikipedia quote above: Banksy has to keep his identity secret to avoid being pursued constantly by the police for crimes of 'graffitti vandalism'.

It is evident from his work that Banksy has a coherent and clearly defined political and moral stance. He is fiercely opposed to all forms of abuse of political and economic power, and contemptuous of the ways that banal modern culture corrupts and degrades human life.

Reading

> Open the file below, and read the text

> once you've read the text carefully, do the exercise in the worksheet (probably best to print it out so that you can write in the answers while you refer to the source text

> note that the worksheet has two purposes: (i) to practise the detailed and reasoned interpretation of details in a text; and (ii) to emphasise the global issues that are raised by the images that Dismaland presents.

> when you've finished the exercise, check your answers by clicking on the little icon below, to see the expected likely answers

Writing 

> access the site 29 Photos , and look at the pictures there, which cover the impact of Dismaland very effectively

> as you scroll through the photos, reflect on what you think about what the images have to say

> and then do the following task...

Research & report

> the purpose of the research is to explore media reactions to the Dismaland project

> do an internet scan - google 'Dismaland', and try to find a range of different media commentaries (e.g. different types of publication, in different countries)

> prepare a short presentation, reporting and commenting on what you have found - write a plan based on bullet-point notes

** As an example, here are my results of a quick scan...

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