Primary school pupils in Widnes have designed their very own light show which will be displayed on the Silver Jubilee Bridge.
Halton Borough Council, and bridge contractor Balvac appointed Arup to work with a group of Year 5 and 6 children at Widnes Academy in West Bank to create a memorable light show which will be featured on the bridge each night in the week of January 8-12.
At a design workshop in the school, the children designed colourful lighting concepts and developed ideas to animate them using some effects they had enjoyed seeing at the November 5th light show. Arup then developed the ideas into storyboards which were programmed into a light show with the expertise from Studiotech.
Each child has a 40-second segment in the show which they have named:
Emilija Daugerte – Spread Happiness and Joy
Emilija wanted to spread happiness and joy with her light show. Enjoy the fun as vibrant colours wave across the bridge from Runcorn to Widnes. Watch as they speed up, slow down, mix and sparkle!
Presian Zhelev – Splash of Colours
Presian wanted a bold splash of colour, so he chose primary Reds and Blues to bounce up and down the bridge. Look out for the big splodges at the end of the show!
Corey Atkinson – Blue Light
Corey liked a watery blue colour which ripples and sparkles sunlight off the water below. The gentle pace at the start of his show quickly builds up to an exciting finish.
Oliver Parry – Supersonic
Oliver chose to play with the bridge lighting using massive blocks of colour. Green, white, red pulse around the bridge and chase each other across the sky, imagine a sonic boom – but with light!
Daria Danciu – Musical Art
Daria loves art and music and imagined pretty coloured lights like musical notes singing and dancing across the bridge. At the end of her show, look out for the pink guitar at Widnes as it showers the bridge with coloured sparkles!
Amy Newsum – Legend
Amy was thinking of legendary characters. First, they swoop over the bridge with a trail of colour, then pulse like a heartbeat, getting ever bigger and bolder. They finish by galloping over the bridge scattering colours across the sky.
Richard Morris from Arup, said: “Arup always strives to collaborate, using imagination and technology to shape a better world. It was such a delight to work with Widnes Academy to design a light show for their local landmark. The children were really enthusiastic, and I hope they feel proud when they see their finished show. We’d like to thank Ms Kirchin and Ms Rushton from Widnes Academy for getting the children involved.”
Mrs Laura Kirchin, Head of School at Widnes Academy, says: “As the Silver jubilee Bridge is right next to our school and can be seen from classroom windows, this was a really exciting project for the children of Widnes Academy to be a part of.
“We look forward to seeing the children’s designs presented in such a unique way for the whole community to celebrate the talents of our young children.”
