Drawing inspiration from our Bridge

 

Drawing inspiration from our Bridge!


Since the beginning of the year, the Bridge Team have been building an amazing working relationship with Coleg Gwent. From Illustration and Photography courses through to the Performing Arts, the students are already creatively helping to bring our iconic Bridge to life!


This week, a contingent of brave students from the Foundation Degree Illustration Course descended upon us and ascended the Bridge, working on an exciting brief to create a series of eight illustrations representing key wildlife species found around the structure and River Usk below. Species will include salmon, common sandpiper, black-headed gull and otter, each including elements or views of the bridge, depending on the individual species’ habitat. 

Course Leader Kelly Rogers says:

“Our Foundation Degree Illustration learners are excited to be working on a live brief for the Newport Transporter Bridge Project. We hope this artwork will aid public awareness of the bridge and the wildlife species around it. Visiting the Transporter Bridge has been a highlight of the project as students gathered first-hand research on the bridge and surrounding environment. Our team is extremely proud to be working with this heritage project and we hope the artwork produced will inspire people to get involved with this amazing local landmark.”

The students also came face to face with two of their subject matter in the flesh, a fox and otter – albeit rather inanimate and safely locked away in Newport Museum display cabinets!

Not only will some of these illustrations be used in publications, school’s worksheets and social media to promote the Bridge and its wildlife but also for an outdoor display of the student’s work on and around the gondola during events. Some of the illustrations may also get an even bigger and higher profile during the closedown…watch this space!

Lights, Camera, Action! It’s not only pencils, paint and pens that get a look in but also the visual arts too. Placement student Dylan Guard from the Performing Arts course is scripting a film consisting of three short episodes. We’re sure his imagination and vision will bring the history of the Bridge to a whole new younger audience with a very different take on the story - Robert Haynes time-traveller anyone…? The Team are discussing further involvement of the Performing Arts Students including the possibility of future performances at the Bridge.

Finally, you may have seen photography student Andrew Richards at our recent events capturing everyone enjoying themselves on the bridge, gondola or taking part in family activities. Not only has he been taking some striking pictures of the Bridge in fog but he’s also been concentrating on close-ups of the workings of the Gondola and Operator Martin in action. Andrew will be volunteering with us for some time so if you have any ideas for new or alternative imagery of the Bridge then please let us know!

Gavin Jones Community Engagement Officer

Since Gavin completed this blog Dylan Guard a Performing Arts student, from Coleg Gwent has emailed 

“It has been incredibly interesting and utterly amazing to work on a project for such a wonderful piece of Welsh history. Learning new facts about the bridge has been so interesting and I can’t wait to be able to share what we have in store!” 

Photo by Photography Student Andrew Richards from Coleg  Gwent.






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