News Collyer’s Help Drive Community Project 11.03.2021

Horsham District Council has been working in partnership with Collyer’s Art Department, and well known entrepreneur Nick Broom, CEO of PVL, a leading company creating high visibility markings for emergency service, highways and security vehicles. The plan is to create a new look for their Mobile Community Hub, formerly known as the Snack Wagon, a key mobile youth provision service vehicle for the Horsham District. The winning design, created by Collyer’s student Fuzzy Isaacs, will revamp and refresh the Mobile Community Hub, ahead of the Youth Provision Service getting back on the road post lockdown.

Ian McAlister, Art and Graphics teacher and Director for Higher Education Progression explained: “When we were first approached by Horsham District Council’s Community Development Officer, Lucy Hargreaves, about the project, we realised that this would be an excellent opportunity for our second year A Level Graphic Communication students, as it embodied all of the experience and skills they will need as they progress onto Graphic Design degrees and the creative workplace.”

Amanda Hall, who teaches Graphic Communication and the BTEC Extended Diploma in Art & Design Art, was delighted: “It was a real joy to see what the students produced, each one individual, each one learning new and valuable skills.”

Collyer’s student artists thoroughly enjoyed working to a professional brief. Fuzzy Isaacs said she was “so happy to work on a project that helped others” while Emily Richardson felt it introduced her to a “realistic version of commissions, deadlines and briefs.” Rosie Dean added: “I have greatly enjoyed the project and appreciated the opportunity to try my hand at design local to me and, as a result, much more personal to me and many of us at Collyer’s.”

Head of Art, Susie McAlister, said: “At a time when our community is at the forefront of all our minds, to be able to make a positive contribution to everyone’s well-being has been a welcome opportunity for all involved. We strongly believe that it is important for our students to see their art at work within their community, developing an understanding of the positive contribution the arts can make, within society as a whole. I am immensely proud of the artwork created by our students and thank their teachers, Ian and Amanda, for their dedication directing this entire project online during Lockdown and for HCD for giving us this opportunity.”

For a number of years the Mobile Community Hub, a mobile youth provision service, has been a key component within the Horsham town area providing a range of detached youth work in a variety of settings for young people aged 13 to 18 years. With the easing of Covid19 restrictions the newly liveried vehicle will continue to engage with young people and provide advice and resources on lots of issues, particularly those generated by Covid19.

Collyer’s Principal Dan Lodge said: “Huge thanks to the amazing team at Horsham District Council, our fantastic art department and PVL’s Nick Broom for creating such a wonderful project and fantastic creative opportunity for our gifted young artists.”

Horsham District Council Cabinet Member for Community Matters and Wellbeing Cllr Tricia Youtan commented: “I think this is a great initiative to involve our younger community in using their creative skills on a real project which will ultimately help promote an important service for local young people.

“I look forward to seeing the final design.”