Ролевая игра по теме "Graffiti"
методическая разработка (11 класс) по теме

Activity:                         Role play

Age:

Approximate time:                45-60 min.

Title:                         The case of graffiti.  

_____________________________________________

External goals:

1. Acquaintance with modern subcultures.

2. Use of formal and informal speech.

3. Grammar structures: conditionals, passive voice, complex object.

4. Use of functions: agreement, disagreement, interruption, clarifying, persuading, describing,                                 complaining

5. Use of linking words.

Internal goals:

To get permission and places for graffiti paintings.

Problems to be raised at the meeting:

1. Graffiti – art or vandalism.

2. Youth problems.

3. Problems of education and upbringing.

4. Legal aspect of graffiti paintings.

5. Part-time employment for teenagers.

6. Teenagers’ spare time.

7. Political situation through art.

8. Freedom of self-expression.

9. Graffiti and music (hip-hop).

10. Graffiti and communication.

Cast:

1.  Deputy Head of city council.

2. a policeman.

3. head of culture department.

4. a classical artist.

5. a professional graffiti artist.

6. a teenager. (Denis T.)

7. a lawyer of the owner of spoiled property.

8. a child psychologist.

9. parents.

10. a sponsor.

11. a journalist.

12. a representative of the youth subculture.

13.  a grandmother.

14. a city dweller.

15. an art school representative (student).

CASE.

In autumn 2008 Denis T., a 16-year-old student of the secondary school,
was caught  red handed doing graffiti at the wall of the private building. In most countries, spoiling or painting property without the owner's permission is
considered defacement and vandalism, which is a punishable crime. It's illegal to
trespass on private property. The judge found the teenager guilty but let him off with just his parents’ fine. But the parents did not agree with the sentence and did not want to pay the fine.

Synopsis.

Most teenagers claim that their parents don't understand their needs. However parents believe that they can get through to their children. They are convinced that art has a huge influence on teenagers. Many parents are also sure that graffiti is not only art, but it also expresses social and political messages. That's why teenagers should be allowed to express their thoughts and feelings if they want to in a legal way. After all, don't their children represent the next generation of adults?

Denis’ parents, granny and his friends are determined to do convince the authorities of that. They make an appointment with the members of the city council ( Head of the city council, Head of culture department) to come up with suggestions to arrange a special place ( a wall) for graffiti in their district. They intend to discuss all the ideas and options, give good reasons and come to a compromise suitable for all interested parties. A potential sponsor has been attracted to provide money.

You are meeting today:

1. to get  support from different social groups representatives;
2. to persuade the authorities to give a proper place for doing graffiti.

PREAMBLE.

What would life be like without art like? I suppose you’d say: “Life without art would be incomplete.”  Of course, you are right!

But today you have gathered to discuss a very specific thing – graffiti. Just take a look at it.

Everybody knows that graffiti is inscriptions or drawings on walls or other surfaces in public places. Graffiti ranges from simple written words to huge wall paintings, and has existed since ancient times, with examples dating back to Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire.

In modern times, paint, particularly spray paint, and marker pens have become the most commonly used graffiti materials.

Can graffiti be called art? Or is it vandalism?

Firstly, Graffiti often has a reputation as part of a subculture that influences the mood of teens.

May be you’ve heard of one of the representatives of subculture - Banksy (no one knows his real name). He is a British street artist who is famous for his graffiti that has appeared on walls and buildings in cities around the world.  In February 2007, Sotheby’s auction house in London auctioned six of Banksy's works, fetching almost £400,000 altogether. Later that year, Banksy won an art award, but he didn't turn up to collect it - he prefers to remain anonymous. Despite Banksy's 'success', there are many people who see his work as vandalism rather than art. They see graffiti as ugly, irresponsible and childish and they say Banksy encourages more people to do it. Many city councils remove Banksy's works from their walls but they cannot do anything when it is on private property. In fact, many people want to keep his work on the walls of their building as it adds value to the property because it is considered by many a valuable work of art.

Other people believe that graffiti is a way to send social and political messages.

It can express political practice. One early example includes the anarcho-punk band Crass, who drew anti-war, anarchist, feminist and anti-consumerist messages around the London Underground system during the late 1970s and early 1980s.

If you think art always means Picasso, Monet or Van Gogh, not everyone agrees with you!

However, in most countries, doing graffiti on private property without the owner's permission is considered defacement and trespassing, which is a punishable crime.

As you can see, opinions split. What’s your opinion? Today we have a particular case related to graffiti. The case requires a solution. You represent different parties with the opposite views. Can we solve the problem? Can we come to a compromise? Let’s try. I’m sure it is going to be a heated discussion and nobody will stay indifferent.

Good luck!

Role cards.

TEXTS:

1. Graffiti: Art or Vandalism?

        By  Kary123, Сhelsea, MA

A lady walks down the streets she goes to a train station, she waits a few minutes for the train. The train pulls up, before she boards it she notices a beautiful graffiti painted on the side of the train.”That is such an amazing piece of art. But then again wouldn’t that make it vandalism? I wonder if that person asked permission?” A lot of people wonder this question is Graffiti art or vandalism?

 When I go home I pass a lot of graffiti. One day I passed a beautiful graffiti, it was amazing. It had a lot of colors but mostly red, white and black, with other colors mixed in here and there. When I saw this it got me thinking. I did some research. I learned that modern graffiti comes in many different forms, from the scrawled messages in a public bathroom stall to the spray-painted murals on subway walls.

 The simplest form of graffiti is scrawled message; ”Sally loves Рeter” or ”James woz here.”Some people see this as vandalism since it lacks artistic merit, yet the point of graffiti is to send an expressive message to the reader, whether it is political, social or personal view.

 While doing online research I picked up some views that people had. Like an anonymous person who said that it really all depends on the message being passed through to the reader. The rest of the views opinions that I saw were all pretty much the same. And they all said that graffiti could be both art and vandalism.

 One opinion that really caught my eye was done by an anonymous source. That person said “I think you have to look at the intention behind the graffiti writer’s actions. If they are trying to express themselves its art, but if they have the intention of harming someone else`s property its vandalism. That being said I would say most graffiti writers don’t write on someone else’s property because they want to disrespect or cause trouble to the owner but because they want their work to be seen {even if it’s a tag showing their hand style}. We don’t accuse someone of murder if they accidentally run over someone on the street and end up causing their death because the driver DID NOT intend to kill the person. I’m NOT saying graffiti is legal, but you have to agree there is a difference between throwing eggs at someone’s window for malicious intent and putting a piece of graffiti on it so that other people can see it. The latter is not vandalism.  I loved this opinion because that person made really good sense about the person doing the graffiti and how they are trying to express their feelings.

 My opinion about this matter is that graffiti can be both art and vandalism. It really all depends on what the picture expresses to you and what you see. But everyone has their own opinions and everyone sees everything differently.

 My class and I went walking around Chelsea. While we were walking I took 2 pictures. One is a door and it has a bunch of sayings and names, and all of those are written in different hand styles. When you look at this picture you instantly think that it is vandalism and maybe you are right. But if you take a look at the other picture you see a beautiful mural with a tree and heart. It also has school stuff portraying that it is good to learn. Basically this picture is motivation and when you look at it you instantly think its art.

 Lately I have been thinking that maybe the government should leave a wide white wall. That section could be for graffiti only. It would solve the problem of illegal graffiti. Because all the people who do graffiti would only have to go to that wall and do whatever graffiti they like.

 My opinion on graffiti will always be the same. Sometimes I get confused. I wrote this article to convince that graffiti can be both good and bad. But I can’t make you think that you have to figure it out yourself.

2. GRAFFITI - A DANGEROUS WAY OFF LIFE.

Scrawling graffiti is seen as a crime in the UK, yet in the US it has become a recognised art form. Just a few weeks ago eight graffiti gang members were convicted of causing £5,000 worth of damage on the London Underground. They are among more than 70 hard-core graffiti artists thought to be operating in London today. Most are aged under 20.

Graffiti artists, or 'graffers', operate in many British towns. They often work at night, covering walls, trains and railway stations with brightly painted murals or scrawls in spray paint and marker pen.

Some people regard graffiti as a form of vandalism and a menace. London Underground says that railusers find it ugly and offensive. It spends £2m a year dealing with graffiti, and has even introduced trains with graffiti-resistant paint. 'We don't think it's artistic or creative - it's vandalism. It's a huge nuisance to our customers, and it's ugly and offensive, says Serena Hoik, a spokeswoman for London Underground.

'It creates a sense of anarchy and chaos,' says Richard Mandel, a barrister who prosecuted the graffiti gang. 'Passengers feel as if the whole rail system is out of control.'

British Transport Police has a graffiti unit designed to catch graffers in the act. It spent five months tracking down the recently prosecuted gang.

Graffiti art can also be a dangerous pastime. London Underground says that some teenagers have died in accidents during nocturnal graffiti 'raids'.

However, others say that graffiti at its best is an art form. Art galleries in London and New York have exhibited work by increasingly famous graffiti artists. 'Of course graffiti is art. There's no question about that,'' says David Grob, director of the Grob Gallery in London. Even some of those who think graffiti is wrong admit that graffers are talented. 'It's just that their artistic talent is channelled in the wrong direction,' says Barry Kogan, a barrister who represented Declan Rooney, one of the gang members.

There is a difference between 'good graffiti' and vandalism, says Dean Colman, a 24-year-old graffiti artist. 'I'd never spray private property, like someone's house. Some graffiti are disgusting. There's a big difference between that and graffiti which can brighten up grey walls.'

Dean makes a living as a graffiti artist. His days of illegal spraying are behind him, he says. He has worked on a television programme about graffiti, designed a series of government posters, and decorated nightclubs. He has exhibited his work at Battersea Arts Centre in London, and he has taught graffiti-spraying in youth clubs.

Dean sees himself as an artist, and thinks that graffiti art does not get due recognition. 'There's no graffiti art in the Tate Gallery and there should be,' he says. 'Graffiti is as valid as any other art form.'

3. (From “The Guardian”)

Where do you expect to see graffiti? Probably not in a museum. Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, in the south-west of England, was the kind of place you went to see classical statues and stuffed animals in cases until the arrival of the ‘Banksy versus the Bristol Museum’ exhibition in the summer of 2009. The exhibition hosted more than 100 works by Banksy, one of the world’s most famous graffiti artists.

Banksy is a man of mystery. He hardly ever gives interviews and likes to be anonymous. Nobody knows much about his life or his background but many people believe that his real name is either Robin Gunningham, Robert Banks or Robin Banks and that he was born in 1973 near Bristol.

Banksy’s controversial ‘street art’ includes spray paintings on live sheep and cows and graffiti on the huge wall erected to divide Israel and Palestine. Brad Pitt spent over 2 million dollars on a Bansky original. Banksy designed an album cover for the Britpop group Blur in 2003 but he has refused at least four requests to do adverts for Nike. A year after the Bristol exhibition, Banksy made a film called Exit Through the Gift Shop. The film tells the story of a French street artist in America. Exit Through the Gift Shop received many positive reviews. Nobody knows if it was about a real artist or an invented character from Banky’s imagination.

Bristol isn’t the only place in Britain to welcome graffiti. The DPM Park in Dundee, Scotland has the longest legal graffiti wall (almost 110 metres long) in the UK. Anyone can paint on the council-owned wall any time they like. Mike Crilley, the graffiti wall project organiser, promotes the positive side of graffiti and runs workshops for local children.

Is everyone doing graffiti? Can we do graffiti where we want these days? Not exactly. It’s illegal to paint on somebody else's property so make sure you find a legal graffiti wall like the one in Dundee if you want to have a go.

4. The Dangerous Life of a Graffiti Artist.

        Posted on September 29, 2011

So you think you have what it takes to be a graffiti artist? Consider this:

-       Are you quick on your feet?

-       Can you think fast in high-pressure situations?

-       The kicker (and this is a big one): Are you willing to spend time in jail?

Not everyone is destined to be a graffiti artist. It takes a lot of hard work, practice, and skill to be a capable and respected tagger. It’s not just about creating beautiful works of spray paint (although that’s a huge chunk of it), a tagger must also be quick and nimble, effective enough to successfully evade obstacles that are thrown their way. One small misstep, and they risk getting thrown in jail for vandalism and public indecency.

There are many factors that taggers go up against every single time they step out of the door in the dead of the night with their dark attire, athletic runners, and a backpack reeking of aerosol. Taggers expect that anything and everything will go wrong during their trip. There are so many dangers that I’ve dwindled the list down to the top six most dangerous factors that taggers might face every time they set out in the dead of the night and create works of street art.

____________________________________________________________________

Police

The police (or “Hogs” as taggers like to call them) are a tagger’s public enemy numero uno! The hogs stand as the number one obstacle to not just taggers but also street artists. Their duty is to preserve the city from vandals and they patrol the streets to enforce their laws, because of this their ideals clash with street artists who wish to use public space to express their art. The hogs are notorious for locking taggers in jail and feeding them hefty fines and community service.

Seeing as all types of public properties are a required necessary for taggers, hogs make it a point to patrol these areas with the sole intent of cracking down on these ‘vandals’. In some of the more populated cities (New York, London and Germany) where vandalism continues to be an overwhelming concern, government officials specifically instruct hogs to crack down on graffiti artists. Often, patrol units are dispatched late at night to contain and restrict taggers from venturing out.

To the taggers, these hogs stand for something greater. They represent the roadblocks standing between their ability to openly express themselves, and are the main reason why graffiti and street has become to be known as medium that attacks the authority.
____________________________________________________________________

Environment

The environment is another factor that poses a serious threat to taggers. As more art is made and space is filled up, taggers are forced to find new places to create their art. Why don’t they just write over old graffiti you ask? Well for one that’s asking for a definite ass-kicking. A code of honor is shared amongst all taggers and going over someone’s work is a sign of straight disrespect, and they will come after you! Each work must be preserved and respected. If there is no room, simply look for another place.

However, once all the building walls are inevitably filled up, taggers are forced to seek out new spots – some of them being more difficult to access. They began climbing fire escapes to reach high rise billboards, some jumped from one building to another in order to access exclusive places where graffiti hasn’t found its way in yet. It’s a very dangerous price to pay, but one that some taggers are willing to risk if it meant a new spot for their works to be displayed, or one that would instantaneously catch the public’s attention.

Unfortunately, the environment has caused many casualties – many taggers fall to their deaths climbing the high structures, and some die due to accidents caused by rainfall and other forces of nature. It’s important as a tagger to evaluate the pros and cons before setting out and putting up a new piece – “Should I go or is it truly in my best interest to stay and let the weather rest before heading out?” Be smart about the situation and always be wary of your surroundings!

____________________________________________________________________

Gangs

In some poverty-stricken neighborhoods, gangs are very common and widespread. Gangs are very territorial and mark their territories with their own signature graffiti. When venturing into these neighborhoods, taggers must be especially wary and always be on the look out for these gang tags. When they see a wall marked, make a complete 180 and look for another wall. While it’s tempting to write on a fresh wall with lots of space, getting severely beaten to a pulp by a group of thugs is most certainly not. In America, there are certain incidents where gangs have killed rival artists who have invaded their territory. A tagger must be aware of his or her surroundings at all times, and if something feels wrong, it probably is.

____________________________________________________________________

Pedestrians

Pedestrians are another factor that taggers must look out for during their endeavor. If a pedestrian spots a tagger in most cases they won’t say anything to confront the tagger. Rather, they’ll tip off the police by alerting them on their cell phones. That’s why in this case taggers are advised to run when they know they’ve been spotted. Also a wide group of taggers believe that most policemen go undercover as pedestrians in order to catch them in the act. With such heavy scrutiny, taggers are forced to be even more secretive and take extra precautions before setting out.

____________________________________________________________________

Subway Trains

Subway trains pose an extreme risk to taggers, as they can cause instant death. Absolute beasts of machinery, subway trains travel in lightning speeds throughout the city. In order to access secluded spots where taggers can safely perform their craft, taggers usually jump fences in order to get to these places. However, the inherent danger with this (especially in a city like New York) is that these areas usually have trains running through them. Some routes are not protected by wall fencing, and thus at night in complete darkness taggers must know exactly where they are.  There are far too many horror stories of the NYPD discovering bodies of taggers sliced and diced on railroad tracks the morning after, this goes back to point number two, always be aware of your surroundings!

____________________________________________________________________

Time

Time is money. An artist must be skilled when creating their piece. They must be lightning quick in their application and bolt once their work is completed. Time is valuable. Taggers don’t have the luxury to take their time with their art as other artists do due to graffiti being considered illegal. For taggers, it’s basically get in, spray, spray, spray and get the #$&@ out – and pray you don’t run into any of the other factors mentioned above on the way to safety! Tick tock… tick tock…

____________________________________________________________________

Final Word

Being a tagger is no easy job. The fact is; creating great works of graffiti is only half the battle. Batting the elements mentioned above is the other half.

Don’t be so quick to judge, taggers have it the hardest. Fueled by their passion however, a new sense of respect can be attributed to these people who risk their lives providing us with great works of street art to marvel and look at.

Do you have what it takes to be a graffiti artist? Maybe, maybe not but in the mean time we all can appreciate their hard work, and give them the respect that they deserve for all that they risk to do something that they truly love.