In chaos theory, the butterfly effect is the sensitive dependence on initial conditions in which a small change in one state of a deterministic non-linear system can result in large differences in a later state.
Street art is a bit like marmite – you either really love it or really hate it, there isn’t really a middle area where people are indifferent to it. Liverpool isn’t short of walls, abandoned buildings and floors covered in it and depending on which school of thought you are, you’ll either see it as vibrant or vandalism. The latest, and maybe most breathtaking, is the mural of the girl in Walton on the old Ethel Austins. It is an iconic building that hasn’t had a use until a graffiti artist, Whoam Irony, decided to give it a facelift. She doesn’t have a name but we’re going to name her the girl with five colours in her hair or the Angel of the North.
This week; councillors, businesses and residents alike will be giving the area a spring clean. Skips will be placed down, floors will be mopped and walls will be scrubbed. The initiative is ran by Country High Street Innovation Group and the aim is to get the area thriving once again. The chair of the group, Councillor Roy Gladden, will be the catalyst behind the movement. Over 20 businesses have opened up on County Road in the last year and this year the growth shows no sign of stopping. There are lots of incredible independents in the area and we plan on attending conferences and seeing how we can help the area improve. The mural has sparked off a strong togetherness and an unexpected renaissance where local business owners are taking the area into their own hands.
The muriel is the true definition of a Butterfly Effect and we can’t wait to see where the initial flap of wings will take this. Good luck to everybody involved and we look forward to helping.