A MURAL depicting theatre audiences in Oxford through the decades has been created to change the perception of graffiti in the city.

The graffiti art, on the load-in shutters at the New Theatre, shows people through the years enjoying live entertainment at the George Street theatre.

The theatre along with artist Andrew Manson hoped it would change the attitudes of people towards community art and graffiti.

Mr Manson, who completed an art foundation course at Abingdon and Witney College, said: "Working at the New Theatre has been a fantastic opportunity, as part of the ongoing ‘Positive Impact of Graffiti in the Community’ project.

"Graffiti gets an unnecessarily bad reputation and with more legal walls and more commissioned pieces it will get the time and talent that it warrants.

He added: "I hope that this mural at the New Theatre will make people see graffiti in a new light – impressionists had tubes of paint, graffiti artists have tonnes of tins of paint."

The 25-year-old painter, who lives in Donnington Bridge Road, launched the project last year to change the community's attitude towards graffiti, which many see as vandalism.

It aims to create more 'legal walls' and commission artists to produce impressive murals across the city.

In recent years the theatre has worked with a series of artists on projects, which has included artwork in the venue's foyer.

The shutters mural, part of the 'Positive Impact of Graffiti in the Community' project run by local artists, will be on permanent display next to the theatre's stage door in Red Lion Square.

The theatre's general manager, Dean Stewart, said: "Local audiences will know of the creative work that takes place every night on stage at the New Theatre.

"We are passionate about ensuring that the creativity on Oxford's stage spreads out to all corners of the local community, inspiring a new generation of creative talent from this county."