Collaboration: City of Bristol college
Ginkgo Projects has been developing an education partnership with City of Bristol College since 2022, bringing together students and artists to collaborate or learn from one another as part of commissions within the city.
The partnership aims to open up the students’ horizons to new creative processes and approaches to making work. It also provides real world experience of working directly with practicing artists on diverse projects, learning about potential career pathways within the cultural sector, and raising aspirations in terms of progression.
Through this collaborative process, the students are developing new skills and introducing their own experience of the city to the projects, providing alternative perspectives and influencing the direction taken by the commissioned artists in their work.
Recent collaborations include:
Jubilee Pool Design Competition
Ginkgo Projects worked with the Jubilee Pool restoration team and Level 2 Diploma in Art and Design students on a design brief for the pool’s branding and merchandise. The students carried out research and developed designs, which they then presented to the client in person for shortlisting, with the chosen design being used across a range of fundraising products.
Ceramicist Matthew Raw and maker’s marks
Foundation Diploma in Art and Design students met with Matthew Raw and the property developer for a tour of a construction site at Silverthorne Lane in central Bristol. This was followed by an artist-led workshop exploring the history of potteries in the area, the significance of the “maker’s mark” and the research and design process involved in producing large-scale commissioned work. The students worked with Matthew to make their own marks which will later be incorporated into the final work, on site.
Artists Rachael Champion and Jonathan Trayte
Artists Rachael Champion and Jonathan Trayte undertook a week-long residency at City of Bristol College, working collaboratively with the Foundation Diploma in Art and Design students to research and create sculptural forms as habitats for local wildlife. Students were introduced to a diverse range of materials and practical processes in addition to learning more about the commissioning process and artist residencies. The resulting work has been installed along the Feeder Canal and will be on-site for the public to visit for a year.
