Breakout Kids

Caspar showcases his work at the Winter Garden

Local Artist Casper Carr from Fir Vale has turned his life around and set up a thriving creative business in Sheffield.

Following the loss of a friend five years ago, Casper aged 20, turned to graffiti art and decided to use his talent to make a change for the better. While working as a freelance artist for four years, Casper has taken his art work main stream and now works as an urban art tutor and graffiti art historian across the UK.

Over the last year Casper has been working with enterprise programme BiG: Make it Your Business to increase his confidence and practical business skills. He is also looking to turn his business, Breakout Kids, into a social enterprise to help other young people through art.

Casper, who specialises in glow in the dark spray paint, now tours the UK teaching the cons of illegal graffiti art, the skills needed for graffiti art and covers the work of international artists. He also works locally across Sheffield with several artists in residence and schools where he helps students to develop their GCSE sketch books.

Speaking of his experiences, Casper said:

“Graffiti is exciting and it is always changing. My style itself is open to change, 80’s based and heavily influenced by the break dance scene and hip hop culture. I started out on the underground scene but for me, losing a friend to gun crime was a wake up call, I decided to turn things around and that something needed to be done with my life.

“Working with Sheffield City Council's enterprise team for the last year has helped give me control over areas like book keeping and tax. It has meant that I can do these things for myself and save costs. I recently took part in an art exhibition that toured the city and it was a privilege to be involved with such a great mix of artists and art styles.’

“My family and friends are proud to see that I’m doing well for myself. My art has lead to work across the UK and they are really supportive of what I am doing and have achieved. My ambition would be to paint worldwide, involve a sponsor and take the opportunity to work in the USA. That would be the next step, taking my graffiti to an international platform is a life long ambition for me.”