Creative arts students are poised to transform Plymouth into a living gallery this summer in a ground-breaking project combining exhibition with employability.
The IGNITE Festival of Creativity will use buses and buildings as the blank canvas for artwork created by graduating students at the city’s two biggest creative education institutions – Plymouth College of Art and the University of Plymouth.
With the support of major organisations, including Plymouth Citybus, the City Centre Company, Drake Circus and Real Ideas, the festival will run for more than six weeks, using a variety of venues and digital platforms to showcase the work of painters, film-makers, sculptors, designers, and craft-makers among many other disciplines.
There will be a strong performing arts presence, supported by Plymouth Conservatoire, with organisations such as the Barbican Theatre scheduling music and performance events around the city, as well as creating opportunities for costume and set design.
IGNITE 2021 will also enable businesses and organisations to research and recruit graduates via the IGNITE website, containing hundreds of professional profiles, both enabling the local economy to take advantage of creative talent – and helping to retain that talent in the region.
“The IGNITE Festival of Creativity very much puts a unique spin on the traditional arts degree show,” said Dan Howson, project producer.
“It not only brings together the University and Plymouth College of Art in a genuinely collaborative way, but it takes the art of its students into the community: from the sides of buses to Barclays Bank; from shop windows to Sutton Harbour and the waterfront, this will be a city-wide celebration of creativity. And it is allied to an online platform that will connect that creativity with local industry.”
It is the third staging of IGNITE, which is supported by Plymouth City Council as part of the iMayflower project, and by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, who fund the Cultural Development Fund, which is administered by Arts Council England).
Organisers have identified a number of locations for artwork to be displayed, along with other activities such as film screenings and live performances. These include the big screen at The Barcode, inside the Market Hall in Devonport and Ocean Studios at Royal William Yard, and in a number of shops in the city centre and within Drake Circus.
Artwork is also emblazoned on the sides of public transport thanks to the support of Citybus.
Recognition for IGNITE has been growing, and it has been shortlisted in the 2021 HEIST Awards for Best Student Engagement Campaign or Initiative. The event will run until July 19, and for more information, visit: www.ignitefutures.co.uk.
