BRINGING COLOUR TO THE COURT
19 Aug 2021
Graffiti artist Zeke has teamed up with Kofi Josephs of the Worcester Wolves to paint Summerfield Park’s basketball court.
The Birmingham site has been adorned with a plethora of colours, with a notable bright yellow as the primary alongside hues of blue. Geometric shapes and swirling curves create an eclectic design that aims to draw in audiences and players alike to utilise the space. The design was to commemorate the ticket balloting opening for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games on July 14th, with the court colours selected to mimic the game’s branding.
The pair felt their collaboration would inspire young players in the area to come and use the installation. Zeke and Josephs also wanted the design to highlight and celebrate the diversity of the community, by drawing aspects from the surrounding landscape. "It's on concrete as well and we’re a hard-nosed city; we like to work hard, we like getting stuck in. We’re colourful, we’re diverse” Josephs stated. 
The space is open to all members of the public to enjoy from July and will aid in bringing together residents and visitors alike, whilst also building anticipation for the games.
"If kids see some shit that’s as colourful as this basketball court, it's going to attract them, they’re going to want to have a look and once you’re on there it’s easier to play. It’s going to draw in kids and stop kids from being on the street," said Josephs.
The timing of this project, like so many others, has come amidst the COVID-19 pandemic with Josephs and Zeke having to plan and execute it with social media platforms including Whatsapp. Despite the pair being from separate parts of the country- Birmingham and Manchester- the pair agreed to the design of the project would be with a synergy of both of their styles. 
"We both wanted to ensure the same style altogether because it's one city. It’s meant to represent the differences but at the same time, we’re all one."
The court has sparked excitement in the Birmingham community for the Games, which has been dubbed the “Games for Everyone”. It’s set to begin July 28th 2022 and run until August 8th. It is also expected to be the biggest sports programme ever conceived at the Commonwealth Games, with 286 sessions in 19 sports, with eight para-sports.
