Posted : 31 July 2020

SHOPPERS and visitors returning to Dundee city centre after lockdown will find a brighter livelier scene than the one they might remember.


Dundee City Council has joined forces with retailers and artists to brighten up the main shopping streets with posters, window displays, street painting and shop trails.

 

Mark Flynn, deputy convener of Dundee City Council’s city development committee visited a number of city centre locations and shops to see preparations for himself today (WEDNESDAY).

 

He said: “Dundee is a city full of creative, innovative and interesting artists and makers whose talents we are keen to showcase and harness as a win-win way of creating a vibrant and attractive shopping and visitor experience.

 

“This programme of activities will inject a dose of colour and life into the main shopping areas in a number of different ways from using empty shop windows to brightening up our streets.

 

"We want to do all we can as a council to help create a city centre that is an enjoyable place to be and that attracts people back into our shops, cafes and other retailers.”

 

First up is the poster takeover using artworks created by the public on WeDundee.com, which is offering people the chance to comment on the future of the city in a fun and creative way at www.wedundee.com

 

The Dundee Windows project will match artists with vacant openings dotted around the city centre to create bold and colourful selfie friendly designs that celebrate local people and places.

 

Application/information for Dundee Windows can be found at: www.dundeecity.gov.uk/dundeewindows

 

In the coming weeks Castle Street will be transformed by a colourful design painted onto the cobbles, leading people up a playful route from Shore Terrace to the High Street.

 

Cllr Flynn added: “This element of the project will bring a sense of fun to the city centre and as with the other parts of the initiative we hope it will increase footfall and support the many other measures the council has and continues to put to in place to support the city’s economic recovery.”

 

The latest initiatives follow the launch of the MonsterHeroes safari trail in which participants use their smart phone to find 10 of the cute and colourful creatures dotted around the city centre.

 

Using contactless NFC technology and QR codes, without the need for players to download or sign up to anything the Safari allows players to learn each of the MonsterHero’s names, stories, and superpowers and when all 10 have been found, a free e-book, that tells the story of their first team-up is unlocked.