Students at Ormiston Venture Academy have brought Great Yarmouth history to life with a digital media celebration.
Talented students at the academy have taken part in the exciting ‘Winter Gardens – Illuminate!’ project, an innovative digital celebration of the town’s iconic Winter Gardens.
As one of nine local schools participating, 15 artistic Ormiston Venture Academy students have honed their creative skills in a series of dynamic workshops in photography, animation and sound design.
Working alongside local artists, students have explored the rich history of the Winter Gardens while developing creative skills that will feed into a digital showcase projected onto the building.
The project kicked off with a visit to the Winter Gardens, where students explored the building and discovered its fascinating history, using state-of-the-art cameras, props and costumes to capture the building’s architecture and heritage through photography.
Students then dove into animation workshops at the Ormiston Venture Academy, creating storyboards and using both 2D and 3D clay modelling to depict pivotal moments in the Winter Gardens’ history. The young artists are now looking to introduce sound design, collaborating with a musician to create original audio compositions to bring their creative interpretations to life.
The initiative, led by Out There Arts in partnership with Great Yarmouth Borough Council and funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, is part of the ambitious £16.3 million restoration of the Grade II listed Victorian glasshouse following its closure in 2008.
The project will conclude with a grand showcase of the students’ work in the community, offering the public a unique glimpse into the past, present and future of this iconic landmark.
Simon Gilbert-Barnham, Senior Principal of Ormiston Venture Academy, said: “We are incredibly proud of our students for their enthusiasm and creativity throughout this exciting project, and it has been great to see them develop their artistic and digital skills while engaging with the rich history of Great Yarmouth.
“We are so excited to see their work showcased and for the community to see the incredible talent and hard work they’ve put into the project. At Ormiston Venture Academy, we believe in providing our students with meaningful, real-world opportunities that ignite their creativity and ambition, and this project is a perfect example of that.”