The Eurocultured Street Festival started in 2004 with the premise of bringing together all types of art forms from around the European continent. Based on a street in the heart of Manchester city centre in England, the festival has always had a unique location and atmosphere and unlike some other jams and festivals, this event allows painting directly on to the walls. Over the years the likes of Sat One, ECB, Rookie, Besok, Vhils, Klit, Hium, Ram, Mar, Ponk, Paris,

Mr Jago, Mr Kern, San and Spok have all created murals and pieces for its walls. The festival prides itself on giving up-and-coming writers from the region the opportunity to paint alongside some of Europe’s greats, and this year was no exception. 

    2010’s proceedings kicked off early in April with Dutch master Zedz creating an installation at Piccadilly Place in Manchester. Working non-stop for eight days like a machine from 8am ’til 11pm, he completely transformed the plaza with a monster fresh 3D letter piece. 

    However the main event – scheduled for the late May bank holiday weekend – wasn’t without its hitches. At the last minute Herakut and Toast were unable to travel but fortunately the Instituto Cervantes hooked the organisers up with Spanish writer Okuda who was already in London. A few calls and a lot of re-jigging and the line-up and spots were allocated.

    As is always the case when putting on events in the UK, the weather is a major concern, but somehow the festival was graced with two days without rain. Roid, Dreph and Aryz took on a large arch at the end of the street – a tough task over two days with 10,000 people watching –  but the piece developed rapidly with the finished production a mind-blowing wall of colour and style. Elph drove down from Scotland at 6am to paint one of his unique mind-melting pieces, truly a piece you could stare at all day and still not take it all in, and alongside him was Okuda, who painted another amazing piece that could easily be mistaken for a trippy Pink Floyd album cover. Opposite, local boy Krek dropped a real tight letter piece on the grimy old shutters.

    Further along the street Ruse painted an amazing piece on a rathery sketchy raw brick background, a major task in itself as the wall was like a sponge and every element had to be completely scrubbed and primed before painting. Dotted along the rest of the street were numerous artists from various disciplines, from illustrators to oil painters, with a collection of canvases rocked by Guy McKinley, Hammo, Akse, Krik Six, Chok, Tets, Teas and Tasl to name a few.

    And so another epic year in Manchester was done and dusted. Keep those fingers crossed for the next event in Belfast. –Richard Roberts

For more images and info check out: www.eurocultured.com