Something extra special being planned for the opening night of the Bath Christmas Market 2012; this year, crowds will be treated to Transient Graffiti – a unique community development animation project.
The project will interact with two of Bath’s iconic buildings, Bath Abbey and the Holburne Museum, to bring their facades to life.
During the evenings of the 22nd and 23rd November, spectators can expect to see a dazzling display of animated illustration projected onto both buildings, which explores their immense histories and depicts their inner workings.
The Revd Alan Garrow, Bath Abbey’s Vicar Theologian, said: “The West Front of the Abbey is itself a picture of a dream; the dream of Bishop Oliver King whose vision inspired the present Abbey building. I am very much looking forward to seeing a further set of dreams played out across the same canvas; the dreams of these local, contemporary artists, and their vision of what it would mean for ‘earth and heaven to meet’ in this place today.”
The content for the projections is being produced by three local community groups in conjunction with award winning digital media company, Suited and Booted CIC. Animators Elle Farnham and BAFTA award winner Emma Lazenby have been hosting workshops with the Holburne Association of Homeless Artists, Action On Hearing Loss Educational Day Services and Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Radstock Youth Hub to design and produce the final animations.
The aim of the workshops is to allow participants, some of whom are homeless or at-risk adults and young people, to develop new skills and self-esteem ultimately encouraging them to participate more fully in society.
The use of visual mapping techniques ensures the projections align with key features on the buildings, like the windows, doors and even the sculptural work on the Bath Abbey. The animations will bring these features to life with the style of illustration adding a touch of abstract flair to the spectacle.
Elle Farnham said: “The participants are over the moon that their work will be showcased on such a grand scale. This is the first time the Bath Abbey has ever had animations projected onto its facade so we are looking forward to an historic occasion. I can’t reveal exactly what the animations will entail but I can promise that audiences are in for a treat.”
Emma Finch, Education and Outreach Officer at The Holburne Museum who has been managing the Holburne Association of Homeless Artists for 5 years said: “This is an exciting opportunity for the members of this group to make site specific work on a grand scale. It is a fabulous project as it allows individual expression within a collective project which will get excellent public exposure. We are all very thrilled!‘
As part of the project, Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Radstock Youth Hub is running a week long activity with a group of 10 young people to develop the animation which will be displayed on the Holburne Museum.
Councillor Dine Romero, the Council’s Cabinet Member for Early Years, Children and Youth, said: “Bath & North East Somerset Council is keen to support activities and opportunities which help young people to make a positive difference to their lives and communities. This is a splendid way for these young people to channel their creativity and talent, and I cannot wait to see the end result!”
Transient Graffiti coincides with the opening night of the Bath Christmas Market on the 22nd of November and the Holburne Lantern Procession, which begins at the Holburne Museum on the same evening.
