Preview: Mythical Beasts @ Wintertide Festival, Hartlepool

Photo By Joseph Harnett

Wintertide Festival is set to return to Hartlepool’s Headland and bringing the streets to life, illuminating and animating public spaces to engage, inspire and spark curiosity. 

In among the sights and sounds at Croft Gardens on Saturday 26th November (2-10pm) will be some spectacular illuminated mythical creatures created by second year Extended Diploma in Art and Design students from The Northern School of Art’s Middlesbrough campus.  

As part of the project they researched and documented a range of historical myths and legends from Hartlepool before designing and creating stunning large-scale creations of a stag, a huge eel, an Angler fish and some giant dragonflies.

Extended Diploma Art and Design student AJ from Middlesbrough said he had enjoyed the challenge of making the eel-shaped sea monster and was proud of what his group had created: “I really like it, it’s huge! It’s based on a story we found through our research about a cobra that was reported to have been seen on the Headland, which was more likely to have been an eel.  

“We designed it, scaled it up and made it using wet willow, clingfilm and wet strength tissue paper then painted it and covered it with glitter. My family are all coming along to see it in place.” 

The Northern School of Art’s FE Art & Design Course Leader, Sara Drodge, commented: “It’s been amazing to see students build upon skills acquired in their first year when exploring a variety of disciplines and produce stunning site-specific work. Working with BloomInArt is always a pleasure and an invaluable experience for our students to learn transferable skills that they can apply in life such as employment, apprenticeship and degree level.  

“The attention to detail, refinement and professionalism from our students has been first class! We are very proud of them all.” 

For further information about Wintertide visit www.wintertidefestival.co.uk