Children from the Schadewijk in Oss, where four houses have recently been shot at, make graffiti artworks to brighten up the neighborhood again. They do this at the Schadewijk community center, the place where Ossenaar Mo (23) was shot dead in April. And some kids think that’s crazy. “When I look at the place, I can still see it,” says a boy who saw it happen at the time.
During the Summer Festival, organized by Muzelinck, creativity and fun for children are paramount. And that proves to be more necessary than ever this year. In the Osse district, four houses were shelled in a week. That happened twice in the Merelstraat, the street opposite the entrance to the community center.
While the children make cheerful colored works of art on the white plates, they tell about their experiences. “I am very shocked. It made me cry,” says a boy who lives a few blocks away. Another adds: “I got quite scared, but I still came to the Summer Festival to have some fun with my friends and nephew.”
“I wanted to make one artwork for myself and one for the shot Mo.”
The misery started on the Leeuwerikhof, the street next to the community center where the children are now spraying graffiti. In April, 23-year-old Mo from Oss was shot dead at that spot. A 10-year-old girl from the neighborhood was a little further down the playground when it happened.
“I was very shocked. I saw police everywhere and heard that someone had been shot,” she says, spraying colored graffiti on the plate. “Now I don’t dare to play outside here anymore. I did come to this place because I really wanted to spray graffiti.”
Other children from the neighborhood also have mixed feelings about the Summer Festival. “I think it’s pretty crazy to be standing here now. Then I think about what happened,” says a boy from the neighborhood. “I feel a bit like it.”
Most try to think as little as possible about the shelling and make something positive out of it. “I actually wanted to make two works of art. One for myself and one for Mo,” says another boy. “In memory of him.”
“We didn’t want to let the events hold us back.”
Ellen Beek van Muzelinck also notices that the need of children and their parents to do something fun has only increased. “This is a way of getting people out of their homes and bringing them into contact with each other. With the Summer Festival we provide a bit of cheerfulness and conviviality in the neighbourhood,” she says.
“Because of the events at this place, we have doubted whether we should let it go ahead. But we didn’t want to let that stop us. And according to the police it is safe.”
After spraying graffiti for a few hours, the artworks are finished. The colored plates will later be used to board up demolition buildings in Spoorlaan and Zwaluwstraat. In this way, the children and their parents together ensure that the Schadewijk becomes a bit happier again.
