The Bord Waalk (or not in the local accent – otherwise known as ‘Bird Walk’) is a new walking trail of public sculptures inspired by the bird-life found around the Amble coast. The artworks are being created by nationally and internationally renowned artists, bringing something unique and very special the area. The Bord Waalk will be enjoyed by residents and attract visitors from across the country to Amble.
The Bord Waalk is funded by the Coastal Communities Fund, Arts Council England and Northumberland County Council, with the aim of attracting new visitors to the area, creating more commercial skills and opportunities for artists, engaging local communities with creativity, and encouraging a closer connection between art lovers, outdoor enthusiasts and bird watchers.
Students from the northeast schools – James Calvert Spence College, Duchess’s Community High School and Berwick Academy were invited to submit artwork referring to a professional brief centred on the Amble Bord Waalk. Here we have the photography project.
TICE Photography Project
This project will be an imaginative blend of Landscape Photography, Dada Collage and the many birds which frequent the coastal Bord Waalk. Amble lies at the mouth of the River Coquet on the North Sea coast of Northumberland. Inspired by the coastal landscape and the wildlife, Bord Waalk is a Bird Sculpture Trail which follows a route from Low Hauxley along the coast, around Amble and along the river to Warkworth. It is part of the area’s rejuvenation and regeneration project, aimed at engaging community self confidence, self esteem and economic prosperity.
For this project the students need to walk the Bord Waalk, walk, pausing curiously at points, to observe, listen and photograph the different elements of the landscape (wind, rain, sea, dunes, rocks, trees, grass). Spotting and thinking about the characteristics of the birds which live in this coastal habit a long the way. Through your birds eye (camera), you will capture how they may experience the landscape. You may want to focus on a ‘type’ of bird, such as, shore birds, sea birds, hedge, garden or tree birds and depending on their ‘type’ imagine the behaviour and personality within their habitat.
While each bird species possesses its own distinctive call and songs, birds can have their own individual quirks of speech, just as people do. Charles Darwin suggested that birds are moved by emotions and may sing from “mere happiness”.
The final piece will be a Dadaist Collage of photographs curated together to reflect a birds personality and viewpoint of living in this unique location.
Mentored By: Jennine Wilson – Photography Mentor
Project Contributers: Graeme Hopper – Collage, Photographer & Sound Artist, Chris Younger – Fine Art Landscape Photographer, Linda McCartney – Mindfulness coach, Sophie Henderson – Landscape Photographer and Dan Bolam – Landscape & Commercial Photographer
Student Outcomes:
Please view the final results of Ethan Redfern (Duchess’s Community High School), Rebecca Clark (The Duchess’s Community High School), Noah Armstrong (James Calvert Spence College), Kye Keenan (James Calvert Spence College), Tallulah Clarke (Berwick Academy) and Christopher Nuttall (Berwick Academy).
And finally…
Thank you and well done, not only to the students but to the teachers and staff at Duchess’s Community High School, James Calvert College and Berwick Academy.
A big thank to the funders – Amble Development Trust, Coastal Communities Fund, Arts Council England and Northumberland County Council, to Create North and the companies and contributers involved in the project.
To the students – we hope you have enjoyed this project; we hope in years to come that, you can proudly present an industry written project you did and quite frankly smashed. Well done, and congratulations from everyone here at TICE.