On this page: (please scroll down)
- Statement
- Schools
- Workshops
- Sites
- Mood Board
- WebAR
- Themes
- Partners
- Opening Times
Art Stops at the Washington Galleries Shopping Centre, June 2024 – February 2025
Galleries Washington, Washington, Tyne & Wear, NE38 7SD
Statement:
We will collaborate with the new owners of the Galleries Shopping Centre in Washington, who share our passion for bringing Art into public spaces. Four separate art workshops with children from four schools producing content for large floor and wall vinyl murals.
We would commission four new artworks for the large screen and digital billboard as a rolling exhibition throughout the project involving Sunderland’s twin cities to celebrate Washington’s 60th anniversary and The Galleries’ 50th.
Project Goals:
Four Local Schools | Four Murals | Thirty Two Workshops | Innovative AR interaction
Community Engagement. Foster a sense of community by involving residents in the creation of public art. Encourage participation from diverse age groups and backgrounds. Cultural Expression. Use art as a medium to express the unique cultural identity and history of Washington. Provide a platform for artists to showcase their interpretations of the city’s heritage.
Celebration of Milestones. Celebrate Washington’s 60th anniversary by commissioning special artworks that reflect the city’s achievements. Public Art Beautification. Enhance the aesthetic appeal of public spaces within the Galleries Shopping Centre through large floor and wall vinyl murals. Cross-City Collaboration. Promote collaboration between artists from twin cities, fostering connections and cultural exchange. Digital Exhibition Impact. Utilising the digital billboard to showcase work-in-progress exhibition, bringing dynamic and ever-changing content to the public. Using Augmented Reality technology to add another interactive layer to the mural work.
Schools:
(click on school for weblink)
Rickleton Primary | St. Roberts of Newminster Comphrensive School |
Harry Watts Academy (ASC), Harraton | Biddick Primary |
Workshops:
Four separate art workshops with children from four schools producing content for large floor and wall vinyl murals.
Phase 1: Workshops: September – October with 2 Mural Installations in December 2024 – January 2025.
Phase 2: Workshops: October 2024 – January 2025, 2nd Mural Installation January – February 2025.
Workshop Artist’s: Claudia Quayle and Graham Smith.
Ensuring Access and Welcoming Environment. Tailor workshop content to accommodate diverse skill levels, ensuring that participants of varying artistic backgrounds can engage and contribute. Workshops in the schools contribute to their Arts Award, enjoying creating and participating in arts activities. Through the Arts Award, young people get actively involved in creative activities that lead towards higher levels and collaborate with artists to try a genre or art form new to them. Schedule school workshops at different times, including weekends and evenings, to accommodate the activities in the schools, such as their after- school groups. Prioritise cultural sensitivity in the project’s content, ensuring that the artwork and themes resonate with the diverse backgrounds of the communities involved. Actively seek representation from local artists who can bring authentic perspectives to the project. Use visual communication tools to supplement written information, making it accessible to individuals with varying language abilities.
Themes: As well as exploring Washington’s 60th Anniversary as a New Town, the children will be encouraged to express what it’s like to live in Washington now, a contemporary take on the anniversary celebrations.
Sites:
Mural Sites around the Galleries Shopping Centre:
We’ve allowed for a 15ft x 19ft square coverage, but the Mural(s) can be separated to other sites.
Mood Board: Visualisations of what the Murals would look like.
Exploring what connects us, through symbols and motifs.
The workshops will act as a brainstorming sessions to explore these themes.
What it’s like to be a certain age in contemporary society and include our heritage.
Do other children feel the same?
Exploring our sense of ourselves in a fluxual space.
AR will be used to enhance the themes and access a thread to follow and tie everything together.
Exploring Genealogy and the history of a place where families lived and worked together. In the style of Comic Art and Pop art to create a colourful kaliediscopic wall and floor pieces.
The New Town offered a utopian ideal; new transport systems, micro villages with pubs and community hubs.
I would like the children to question this Utopia, involving criticial debates.
WebAR (Augmented Reality)
Nick Lewis,
Senior Lecturer in Illustration, Animation and Games Art
I am Programme Leader for BA (Hons) Illustration and Design.
I have 20 years of experience in the illustration, games, and animation industry, working on projects ranging from concept art, character design, and 3D modelling, to art management and 2D animation. In my early career, I designed and modelled characters for console games, including ‘Call of Cthulhu’ and ‘Futurama the Game’ before becoming a Lead Artist and eventually, Art Manager.
I managed concept art projects for clients including Sony, Microsoft, Warner Bros Games, and Lego and have worked on titles such as ‘Watchdogs’, ‘Injustice, Gods Among Us’ and ‘Killzone’.
In my spare time, I enjoy drawing and illustrating, and continue to research new software and techniques for creating digital artwork.
Proposal for an innovative WebAR to accompany the Murals:
The WebAR application presents an exciting opportunity to enhance the shopping centre experience through interactive engagement with murals. By focusing on the theme of ‘connections’ and incorporating user-generated content, aiming to create a dynamic and memorable experience for visitors of all ages.
With robust technical implementation and efficient data management, we are confident that Sunderland University in delivering a high-quality application that meets the objectives and exceeds expectations.
Title: Proposal for Developing a WebAR Application for Interactive Shopping Centre Mural Experience
1. Introduction:
Sunderland Univesity are going to develop a cutting-edge WebAR application aimed at enhancing the visitor experience at the Galleries shopping centres through interactive engagement with four separate murals. The application will leverage Augmented Reality (AR) technology, accessible via the camera asset on mobile phones, to deliver a captivating and immersive experience centred around the theme of “connections.”
2. Project Overview:
The project entails creating a WebAR application that allows users, particularly children and their parents, to interact with two separate murals located on the floor of the shopping centre in August and December. The application will enable users to trigger various designs onscreen, fostering an engaging and dynamic experience that promotes creativity and exploration.
3. Objectives:
– Develop a user-friendly WebAR application accessible via mobile phone cameras.
– Enable interaction with the shopping centre’s floor mural, focusing on the theme of “connections.”
– Facilitate content creation by children to enhance engagement and creativity.
– Implement a system where different designs trigger onscreen content, promoting a dynamic experience.
4. Key Features:
– Seamless integration with mobile phone cameras for AR interaction.
– User-generated content functionality, empowering children to contribute to the experience.
– Dynamic triggering system for onscreen content based on various designs within the mural.
– Intuitive user interface for easy navigation and interaction.
5. Technical Implementation:
– Development will utilise WebAR technologies to ensure cross-platform compatibility and accessibility.
– Utilisation of AR frameworks such as AR.js or 8th Wall for AR content rendering and interaction.
– Integration of backend data management system to handle user-generated content, user interactions, and application analytics.
– Implementation of cloud solutions for efficient data storage, retrieval, and management.
– Recommended cloud solutions for cross-platform integration: AWS (Amazon Web Services), Google Cloud Platform, or Microsoft Azure for scalability, reliability, and security.
6. Data Management:
– User-generated content will be stored securely in a cloud-based database, ensuring data integrity and accessibility.
– Utilisation of structured data storage models to organise and manage user-generated content effectively.
– Implementation of data encryption protocols to protect sensitive user information.
– Regular backups and data redundancy measures to prevent data loss and ensure continuity of service.
7. Timeline:
– Phase 1: Application Development and Testing (3 months)
– Phase 2: Integration with Shopping Centre Mural and User Testing (2 months)
– Phase 3: Deployment and Launch (1 month)
– Phase 4: Post-launch Support and Maintenance (Ongoing)
8. Budget:
– Detailed breakdown of costs including development, testing, integration, deployment, and maintenance.
– Consideration of potential expenses for cloud services, licensing, and infrastructure requirements.
9. Conclusion:
The WebAR application presents an exciting opportunity to enhance the shopping centre experience through interactive engagement with murals. By focusing on the theme of “connections” and incorporating user-generated content, aiming to create a dynamic and memorable experience for visitors of all ages. With robust technical implementation and efficient data management, we are confident that Sunderland University in delivering a high-quality application that meets the objectives and exceeds expectations.
10. Legacy:
Art Stops would like to continue using the application with other children’s art projects in the future involving art in public spaces, and at all times promoting the invaluable contribution of Sunderland University.
11. Next Steps:
We look forward to discussing this proposal further and addressing any questions or concerns you may have. Additionally, we would like to discuss a project plan, including milestones, deliverables, and resource requirements, to ensure successful project execution.
Thank you for considering our art project. We are excited about the opportunity to collaborate on this innovative project.
Partners
Opening Times:
