An original animation co-created by our digital design and advertising, graphic design, illustration and animation degree’s lit up Middlesbrough Football Club’s Riverside Stadium, as part of the club’s 150th anniversary celebration match, marking the latest milestone in the ongoing partnership between the club and the school.
The animation was unveiled during Middlesbrough FC’s 150th anniversary fixture against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday 10 October, with student work displayed across the stadium’s big screens and LED advertising boards in front of home supporters.
The project builds on a successful season-long collaboration, which has seen Middlesbrough FC champion the creativity of The Northern School of Art students, by featuring illustration degree students’ artwork on the front covers of official home match day programmes, throughout the club’s anniversary season. With this project the partnership has since expanded to involve additional creative degree programmes at the school’s Hartlepool campus.
“Working with Middlesbrough FC was a great experience” said animation degree student Jake Kyle. “The brief being so open allowed for so much creative room for me to experiment and play with ideas that I normally wouldn’t think of on my own.”
The animation was inspired by the club’s long history. Through the brief, students were able to approach the concept creatively, drawing on inspiration from the club’s players, fans and wider themes such as community and diversity in football.
Student Shelly Webster said she was inspired by clubs “community, looking into how people love the club, seeing how to translate that into my work, so when they see my work, it shows off the Middlesbrough they love. The lion mascot was something I wanted to incorporate as it is quite fierce like the club, so I wanted to incorporate that, and the fans energy and positivity for the club.”
Reflecting on the skills developed during the brief, illustration student Aydan Perek said, “I enjoyed experimenting with different tools in aftereffects, like text animations and having the portrait flash on the screen in the animation. The 3D camera stuff has been great to work with; I now know how to work in 3D space compared to 2D space.
“Working on the brief has helped me build skills for my innovation module, where we will be exhibiting short frame animations relating to regeneration. The time frame has been a bit of a challenge, but it’s good practice for when working within the industry.”
Fellow illustration second year Amy Shore said, “seeing the final outcome is really exciting, it was scary to think it’s going to be in front of so many people on the match day, it’s definitely fulfilling seeing my work out there, it’s like a scary good. The lecturing staff have been really supportive of the progress and development stages.”
The live brief has also given students vital experience working with an industry client Shelly said, “It’s given me experience in what it would be like to work with clients after I’ve finished my studies and has given me a taste of what’s to come when I’m in the industry eventually!”
She also commented on the partnership and platforming creativity on a bigger scale through the partnership saying, “It’s exciting! I’ll have people not just look at my work but everyone else’s, it is such a positive thing for the uni. It gets creatives on a platform that they might not think exists and is a good way to inspire people.”
Marketing Manager for Middlesbrough Football Club Matt Barber said, “It was our pleasure to be able to integrate the animation project from The Northern School of Art students into the pre-match build-up to our 150th anniversary celebration fixture against Wolves.
“The artwork took pride of place across the big screen and LED advertising boards, and formed a fitting part of what was a truly special and memorable occasion for the club and its fans.
“This is just the latest stage of an ongoing creative relationship between the club and the Northern School of Art which is going from strength to strength.”
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