Britt Nichols – also known as BRT – is one of many artists using ACT’s legal graffiti walls.
06 January 2023
Canberra’s legal graffiti practice walls are transforming urban spaces and challenging perceptions about the art form.
Around 30 public spaces across the ACT - including underpasses and toilet blocks – are home to legal graffiti practice walls, where artists are free to practise their craft without a permit.
Local street artist Britt Nichols frequents the sites to brush up on her skills.
“What I love about the legal walls is that you can take it as seriously as you want. Sometimes I’ll try to make something that I could consider as a portfolio piece and sometimes I just muck around,” Britt said.
“I try and head out to the walls every few months, but much more in summer when the weather is nice. Yerrabi Spillway is my favourite spot, with 16 tunnels full of art - it really is an outdoor gallery.”
Britt has also used the walls to introduce the next generation to the art form.
“Recently I took my 13-year-old cousin out to paint because there was a legal wall walking distance to his house,” she said.
“We made a tag from an anagram of his name and attempted an old-school style. It was super fun and silly.”
Although sites are available for public use, they do come with guidelines. All sites are marked with a symbol specifying the wall or surface is a legal site, and artwork that is offensive will be removed.
As a local street artist, Britt has been grateful to see the artform’s rise in popularity.
“The perception of street art and graffiti in Canberra has definitely grown more positive through the years with the help of the ACT Government's ongoing mural work and more recently, Surface Urban Art Festival.” she said.
More information about legal graffiti practice walls, ACT Government commissioned street art as well as a full list and map of locations of legal graffiti practice sites is available on the City Services website.
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