Victoria Centre backs campaign to bring Banksy back to Nottingham Article

This follows city resident, Mike Horseman, founding the 'Bring Back Our Banksy' campaign and petition after the mural of a girl hula-hooping a bike tyre was removed from a wall in Lenton and sold to Brandler Galleries in Essex.

There are discussions about where the piece could go if it is to be brought back to the city it was gifted to, with calls for it to go in either Nottingham Contemporary or Victoria Centre.

Commenting on the campaign, Nigel Wheatley, centre director, said:

“We would be delighted to see Banksy’s artwork back in the city. Seeing the excitement amongst locals when it first appeared was really heart-warming, especially as this happened in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“If the petition succeeds and we see the Hula Girl back in Nottingham, then of course we would be delighted to host her in Victoria Centre for all of our visitors to see on their shopping trips.”

Mike Horseman, who founded the campaign and petition has commented on the prospect of bringing the Hula Girl to her hometown:

“When it was first revealed that Banksy had given Nottingham this wonderful gift, it brought the city together in a time when morale was quite low because of the pandemic. Seeing local residents and people who came from further afield to a street corner in Radford was really heart-warming and it is a shame that she’s no longer there for people to enjoy.

“My main aim at the moment is to get the Hula Girl back to Nottingham for locals to enjoy as they’re on their daily commute and to act as a tourist attraction to those visiting the city.

“I really appreciate the support from Victoria Centre and I hope that if we get her back to Nottingham, then she can be on show for a period of time in a place so iconic to the city.”

So far, the petition has over 1,000 signatures and Mike is campaigning to have the Hula Girl back in Nottingham as soon as possible.

Sign the petition here:

https://www.change.org/p/nottingham-city-council-bring-the-banksy-back-to-notts

And follow updates on Facebook here:

https://www.facebook.com/BringBackOurBanksytoNotts