The ghosts of Hartlepool have now found a new home as students from Cleveland College of Art and Design (CCAD) get ready to unveil a ‘street’ inhabited by the spirits of Hartlepool past for the public to enjoy.
Second-year students from the specialist art and design college’s Production Design for Stage and Screen course have designed and built a full-scale studio set of a street inspired by Hartlepool’s rich and historic past as a shipping port and commercial centre, which will be officially opened on 27 January by BBC TV production designer and art director, Tina Sherifa Hicks.
The Haunted Histories of Hartlepool is a concept proposal for a six –part fictional TV drama series and all the characters in the series are ghosts from Hartlepool’s past, who have now built and created their own environment, the ‘street’.
The students, who are studying for their degree at the college’s university-level campus, were give a brief to research the Victorian buildings around Hartlepool, especially the Headland, then use the research to create a surreal fantasy world for a proposed TV programme, as a production design team would be expected to work in the industry today.
Although predominantly a second-year project, first-year PDSS students have also been involved – designing and building props to decorate the street and shop windows – making it a collaborative exhibition. From their initial concept sketches and illustrations the students have produced technical drawings and models, leading to the development of full-size buildings, props, street furniture and scenic painting.
Second-year students Greg Lonsdale and Molly Watson have worked on the project, which showcases the concept development and construction skills learned as part of the course, and they are excited to see it finally come to fruition.
Greg, 20, from Fairfield in Stockton, said: “My part of the street is inspired by ships, with a big arch on the shop front reminiscent of a ship’s hull and portholes, crossed with the brightly coloured houses on the headland. It has been a lot of fun and a great experience.”
Greg has brought some industry-based skills to the project which he gained during his invaluable work experience for ITV’s epic fantasy drama, Beowulf. The production designer for the hit TV show, Grant Montgomery, took Greg, Molly and a number of other PDSS students to work on large scale sets for the 13-part series, where they were involved with casting, painting and distressing props and mould-making for the show.
19-year-old Molly from Maidenhead, currently living in Hartlepool, added: “My building is almost like a junk shop where the ghosts have taken the best bits from buildings around Hartlepool, putting them together to give the shop a ‘run down’ feel. It also has the style of a tent, with the roof being made into a sail, almost like a modern-day pop up shop!
“To make a full size set is not something you get to do very often and it gives you a much better experience of what it would be like to create something that would be used in the industry for filming, so we can’t wait to see the street finished and officially opened at the end of the month.”
The exhibition will be unveiled by Tina Sherifa Hicks at a special event on the evening of 27 January, and then open to the public from 28 January to wander down the street and take a step back in time. The work will be on exhibition for three months, with lighting and sound provided by the programme team to create an authentic visitor experience. Public viewings will take place on weekdays from 10am – 4pm from 28th Jan until 24th April at CCAD’s Production Design Studios on Church Square in Hartlepool.
Tina, a former CCAD student who also studied the same degree course over 14 years ago, will be visiting the college before the opening to meet students and provide a workshop. Tina has made a name for herself in the field of production design in film and television, having worked on major projects including BBC’s Waterloo Road as head production designer, as well as hit TV shows Eastenders and Wire in the Blood.
Norman Austick, lecturer in production design at CCAD, said: “This exhibition piece shows the development of some exciting team work and dedication by students and the specialist staff here at CCAD. For the students this has created a real world experience and it is the first chance they have had to put their collective skills into practice. The excellence demonstrated in this exhibition has been nurtured here at CCAD and has helped to develop the employable practical skills we know that the TV and film industry are crying out for.
“We think it will be a fantastic experience for visitors to enjoy, especially with the stunning lighting and visual effect, so we encourage everyone to come down and see what Hartlepool may have been like when the ghosts came to town!”
For more information on opportunities at CCAD contact (01642) 288888 or visit www.ccad.ac.uk.