The Banksy bemusement park that pushed boundaries

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Bea Swallow

BBC News, West of England

Getty Images The exterior façade of the Tropicana lido on Weston-super-Mare's seafront, where the attraction was installed. Above the building there is a large sign which says Dismaland. In the out-of-focus foreground there are visitors queuing between metal fencing. Getty Images

Dismaland was built on the site of an abandoned lido which Banksy visited as a child

Ten years ago today the gates of Dismaland opened for the first time, and over the next five weeks, more than 150,000 people flooded through them.

The exhibit was built on the site of Weston-super-Mare’s dilapidated Tropicana lido, which the anonymous Bristol street artist had visited as a child.

The subversive tourist attraction was conceived as a ‘bemusement park’, offering a satirical twist on mainstream resorts.

From installations on climate change and consumerism to war, surveillance and the ongoing refugee crisis – for many, the dystopian commentary remains equally as poignant today.

Local residents have shared some of their favourite memories of the exhibit, and reflected on the lasting impact it left on the North Somerset seaside town.

Getty Images A statue of Ariel from the Little Mermaid, perched on top of a rock in a river of dirty water, in front of a dark and dilapidated Disney castle and a red Ferris wheel. The statue is designed to look like it has glitched while the movie is playing on a VCR. There are visitors crossing a bridge behind the sculpture. Getty Images

The exhibit was a collection of work by Banksy, alongside 58 other artists from around the world

In 2015, Charlie Goodhind sat at her work computer continuously refreshing the page, desperate to score tickets to the event everyone was talking about.

But nothing could have prepared her for the “haunting” experience that awaited.

“Each piece had a different meaning, but when you put them all together, it says a lot about society in general and how the world is changing,” she said.

“A lot of people would find some of the things we saw quite shocking, but I think sometimes shock is needed to get the message across.

“There is always a darker side to the things you enjoy, and I think Dismaland opened up those conversations.”

Getty Images A group of around 30 mannequins dressed in hoodies and jumpers, sitting in a cramped white boat which is floating on a river of dirty water. It is believed to represent a migrant refugee boat crossing the Channel. Getty Images

This coin-operated boat is largely interpreted as a commentary on the European refugee crisis

Ms Goodhind, who studied art, described the “powerful” and “thought-provoking” interactive installations – including a coin-operated boat full of migrants, and hook-a-duck from a vat of crude oil.

“If you’re stood in front of a painting, it’s very flat. You are the observer,” she explained.

“But interacting with art makes you connect with it. It makes you feel like you play a part in this. You can change this.”

Getty Images The traditional hook-a-duck game at fairgrounds, but with twist. Below a colourful striped canvas tent, there is a large white seabird perched on rocks in the centre of a vat of dark oil, which it is partially covered in. Its wings are outstretched and its beak is open, with crushed drink cans crammed inside its mouth. Below it are small rubber ducks which have overturned in the grease. It is likely a commentary on the damage oil spills can inflict on ecosystems and wildlife. Getty Images

This hook-a-duck game with a sinister twist was likely influenced by several major disasters in 2015, in which oil spills destroyed ecosystems and wildlife

Mark Hills told the BBC he did not have high hopes for an event that described itself as dismal, but it was the “mysterious Banksy” that piqued his interest.

The moment he entered, he was searched by a fake security guard using cardboard equipment, and handed an ‘I am an imbecile’ balloon.

“The whole thing was like ‘what have we come to?’ Everything was so run down and depressing, but it was amazing,” he laughed.

“The staff were awful, everybody was angry and mean to you. It’s the opposite of what you normally pay for.”

Getty Images A white horse-drawn carriage which has upturned on gravel, with the gold and white wheels facing the sky and a white horse laying next to it on the ground. The lifeless figure of Cinderella has been thrown from the window of the carriage and is leaning half out, with two blue birds trying to lift her. The sky is dark and there is a group of paparazzi kneeling down on the right, pointing their cameras and flashes at the princess. It is believed to be a commentary on the media's exploitation of Princess Diana's death.Getty Images

This display is widely believed to represent the media’s intrusive exploitation of Princess Diana’s death

Mr Hills spent hours wandering around the abandoned leisure park, stopping to look in “every nook and cranny” for some bleak commentary.

He paused at the base of an overturned carriage where Cinderella’s lifeless figure lay flung from the window, with paparazzi preying on her downfall.

“That was definitely the piece that stood out the most to me. It had an eerie feeling about it,” he recalled.

Mr Hills says Dismaland paved the way for challenging the norm – creating a unique space where daunting concepts become almost ridiculous.

“A lot of people have the same opinion as Banksy when it comes to his politics,” he said.

“I just think people are too afraid to speak up, because you’re the one seen in the wrong.”

Getty Images A red and gold carousel at Dismaland with horses on each of the poles. There is a mannequin wearing white abattoir overalls, white wellington boots, long black gloves, a hairnet and a white mask. He is holding a knife and sitting on top of a cardboard box that says 'lasagne'. It is likely a bleak commentary on the horse-meat scandal in Britain at the time.Getty Images

A traditional fairground carousel was replaced with a commentary on the horse-meat scandal in Britain at the time

Kurtis Young was 21 years old when he unknowingly signed up to become a Dismaland steward.

“At the time I was just out of college and didn’t have a job. I saw an advert in the local paper for movie extra roles and runners,” he said.

“It didn’t say exactly what is was, it was all very secretive, but I thought ‘that sounds fun’.”

Getty Images A model of an aqua park performer wearing a black wetsuit, hood and blue snorkelling goggles. They are holding up a yellow hula-hoop with one arm as a large model orca dives through it, jumping out of a comically small toilet. In the background there are visitors taking pictures of the display. It is perhaps a commentary on the small tanks aquatic animals are forced to live in at attractions like Sea World.Getty Images

This exhibit is thought to be a remark on the conditions animals are kept in at aquatic theme parks

The oblivious volunteers underwent three days of training, facial movement exercises and acting lessons on staying miserable.

Rumours soon began circling that the elusive street artist was involved, after someone recognised his manager’s name on a non-disclosure form.

“It was all a bit confusing. A lot of people dropped out because they thought ‘what are we even doing?’ We didn’t find out officially until we got to the location.”

Getty Images A pink ice cream van which looks like it has been burnt in a fire, with thick black soot covering the entire vehicle. There is a line of people queuing up at the side window, where a green sign reads 'customer service desk closed'. Getty Images

Staff at the event were trained to be surly, incompetent and irritable

Mr Young said he spent the next five weeks “causing chaos” and “being mischievous” – kicking over children’s sandcastles and cheating at fairground games.

“There was a lot of pushing the boundaries. Never maliciously, but just to create an interactive experience,” he explained.

PA An aerial image taken at dusk showing the illuminated art installations at Dismaland. There is a large Disney castle lit up with blue and purple lights in the centre, which is reflecting on the water in the abandoned lido below. There is a large red Ferris wheel on the right, and a Punch and Judy stall in the foreground. The sky is cloudy and blue with an orange hue on the horizon.PA

The local authority said Dismaland “paved the way” for other cultural and entertainment events in the town

Mr Young described the job as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“It was such a fun chapter of my life, it’s a shame it was so short,” he said.

“But if it were to happen again I don’t think it would have the same impact. It would almost defeat the point, by becoming too commercial.”

North Somerset Council confirmed there are no plans for Dismaland 2 on the horizon, but the event did help to “shine a spotlight” on the Tropicana’s potential.

It was estimated to have generated a £20 million boost to the local economy, with shops, hotels and businesses experiencing a surge in trade.

An archive image showing around 40 people playing and swimming in the shallow pool at the Tropicana, during the early 2000s. There are several tunnel slides on either side and a tiled walkway around the lido.

The Tropicana, pictured here in the early 2000s, is set to soon become a cultural arts venue

The authority says it is in the process of leasing the site to an experienced venue operator long-term, and will make the announcement in the coming months.

Councillor Mike Solomon, cabinet member for culture, leisure and open spaces, said: “This will create new jobs, support local businesses and deliver a year-round experience-led economy for the future.

“We want to attract higher profile acts, culture and entertainment events to elevate Weston’s place within the regional, national and international scene.”

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