I have gone along to every Upfest since it was started in 2008. However since 2010 the event now holds special meaning to me as I remember walking around the streets of Southville in the beautiful sunshine with a big smile on my face after finding out the day before that i was pregnant with my son Henry. I felt waves of nausea as I strolled around smelling the fumes of the spray paint, but each wave of sickness made me smile as it was the first time in all of my pregnancies that i had felt sick. I took that as a sign that this baby might be a fighter & things might turn out well. I went back last year with my baby strapped tightly to my chest & it was really emotional for me as i remembered the previous year knowing that day filled with hope, sunshine & laughs was in fact the beginning of my motherhood journey. I know that it's really soppy, but as i walk around looking at all of the beautiful colours, seeing everybody of all ages having fun I always feel really happy & the memory of my joy in 2010 is never far from my mind.
The artwork created at Upfest seems to get bigger & better every year with more and more artists coming to showcase their talent. The main attraction this year however seemed to be The Upfest Tube located on Greville Road, which pays homage to Graffiti's roots in hip hop culture & the early New York Subway graffiti. It's a massive project & really does have an amazing retro feel to it, but with a cheeky jubilee twist at the end of the carriage with a portrait of the Queen holding a spray can.