A UNIQUE sculpture project which has connected the heritage of Sunderland’s coastline and a vision of its future has been brought to life by Nissan apprentices.
And the talent and creativity which has been unveiled as part of The Material Thinking initiative has been so positively received, hopes are high that it can now be rolled out on a wider scale.
The scheme was the brainwave of the Seafront BID – part of Sunderland’s BIDs – working with Nissan to create a project which would involve the plant’s new intake of apprentices.
A week-long event saw the 42 young people working alongside Sunderland-based artists, Su Devine and Graham Bowes, with Victoria Scarisbrick from the BID in an activity-packed programme to help inspire them to create a number of sculpture ideas.
The young people were encouraged to immerse themselves in the seafront, discovering about its history, community and the local landscape before they used that experience to come up with concepts for sculptures.
During the week the group took part in a range of activities to help inspire them, including a Sculpture Walk, sessions at Adventure Sunderland followed by sessions to use their experiences to come up with ideas and then build their sculptures.
The final day saw the apprentices present their ideas to a panel, including representatives from the BID, Nissan, local artist Dr Ron Lawson and seafront residents.
The next step is to investigate the feasibility of turning two of the eight concepts into large-scale sculptures, which will take up a permanent place at the seafront – one at Roker and one at Seaburn.
But Sharon Appleby, Chief Executive of Sunderland’s BIDs – which includes the City Centre BID – said the standard was so high choosing just two was proving impossible.
“This has been an absolutely unbelievable project which has really unlocked both the creativity and the ability to work as a team in these young people,” she said.
“Their ideas have been truly phenomenal and they have really embraced the brief and taken into account everything that they have learned throughout the week.
“For many of them the seafront wasn’t an area they knew well so they have embraced every opportunity to learn more and really immersed themselves in the experience.
“The results are so inspiring and along with giving them an outlet for their creativity, also gave them an understanding of how important that creativity is in helping shape the city’s future.”
The sculpture ideas are now on show at the Holiday Inn Hotel at Keel Square, where they will remain until Sunday 14 December.
Nadine Butchart, a Special Skills Paint apprentice at Nissan was one of the young people who took part.
“ I found that the recent team-building week perfectly highlighted the power of community; it was a wonderful way for all of us new colleagues to connect, build a strong sense of belonging right from the start, and get to work with brilliant professionals of Sunderland,” she said.
“The sculpture project was a fantastic initiative that allowed us to tune into our creative minds, think critically, and work as a united team to develop a concept we hoped would make the people of Sunderland proud.”
Lee Watson, Nissan Production Director said: “We’re incredibly proud of our apprentices and the imagination they’ve brought to The Material Thinking initiative.
“This project has provided a unique opportunity for the apprentices to develop key skills that will support their growth throughout their apprenticeship.
“From creative thinking and teamwork to presenting ideas with confidence, these experiences are invaluable as they begin their careers at Nissan.”