Primary school pupils at Bridge Farm Primary School in Bristol, England, arrived yesterday morning to discover some new artwork adorning a building, as Banksy, the celebrated street artist from the city, had added an original work to a building they’d named after him. Some weeks ago, the students had voted to rename various buildings after famous Bristolians, settling on Brunel, Blackbeard, Cabot and Banksy, whose artwork first appeared on Bristol buildings in the 1990s.
Banksy’s new piece includes a stick figure of a child playing with a stick and hoop, albeit with the ring replaced with a flaming tyre. The artist signed the work, leaving plenty of space for the pupils to add anything they want to the mural, even inviting them to do so in a handwritten note he left for them.
The children of Bridge Farm School gather around their new mural [Jon Kay]
“Dear Bridge Farm School,” Banksy wrote, “Thanks for your letter and naming a house after me. Please have a picture, and if you don’t like it, feel free to add stuff. I’m sure your teachers won’t mind. Remember, it’s always easier to get forgiveness than permissions.”