Voices is the Dorset Echo's weekly youth page - written for young people by young people.

This week Becca argues the benefits of street art in our towns and cities.

Street art has always been a controversial subject – but what does it truly bring to our society?

A ten foot high stark representation of neon vandalism or a kaleidoscope of colour laying as a soft blanket to brighten a cold, grey wall.

It could be said that 'street art' has roots in one of the oldest form of human creation around.

Man has been painting on walls since the beginning of time and it has always been an honest depiction of life - from a mammoth hunt to protesting a war.

But some street art has a dark side.

When graffiti hits an area, crime is a common by-product. People will act as their surroundings teach them to, so if they can get away with illegally painting a wall – maybe they can also escape the consequences of more serious crime.

And it can be lethal.

Many daredevils have tragically died because of being precariously balanced on the razor sharp edge of catastrophe.

Last year three graffiti artists were killed by a train in south London.

Perhaps this is half the attraction of graffiti - its danger is thrilling.

However, street art is also a vibrant injection into the monochrome boredom of urban life.

It can, literally, brighten up an area and restore pride in a community. Street art has the capability of making a grayscale landscape into an open air gallery.

In Weymouth subways across the town are to be painted with bright, bold murals representing what is good about the borough.

Besides its obvious aesthetic appeal, it has the power to stop wars and restore justice. It is the visible reminder of the human’s defiance to being controlled. It is an art with a screaming voice that will not be silenced.

Just like any form of art it is open to interpretation.

So what do you believe - is street art a catastrophe or a celebration, of human existence?

By Becca Seb