Talented BA (Hons) Textiles and Surface Design degree students from The Northern School of Art’s Hartlepool campus helped to mark a major moment in history with a recent live brief project.

As part of the S&DR200 festival marking the 200th anniversary of the first passenger railway journey and the birth of the modern railway, the students worked with leading outdoor performance specialists Avanti Display to design and produce a series of striking, large-scale, double-sided banners.

The banners were used to promote the two-part large-scale outdoor Ghost Train performances in Darlington and Stockton co-created by Avanti Display and acclaimed outdoor art performance specialist company Walk the Plank which attracted thousands of spectators.

The project was a unique collaboration between the School’s stage and screen and textiles students. Following a presentation by Avanti Display’s Head of Engagement and Props, Bryan Tweddle to all students about the S&DR Ghost Train performances, the idea emerged that street banners would be an effective and visually engaging way to promote the events across both towns.

The project was structured as an intensive challenge to create a series of large banners to be hung in Darlington town centre and on Stockton Riverside. Each banner measured 1470mm x 795mm and was hand-generated, screen-printed, and hand-painted, demanding precision, stamina and teamwork at every stage.

For their primary research, the first-year textile students visited the Hopetown railway museum in Darlington, where they created observational drawings and took photographs to help inspire their designs.

Textiles course Senior Lecturer Jayne Hemmins praised the students’ efforts, commenting: “The students worked really hard. This project was very realistic in how industry operates, from managing deadlines to meeting client expectations. It was a very positive experience and incredibly exciting to see them creating public art textiles pieces on such a large scale.”

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Each of the students involved took inspiration from the original 1825 journey of Locomotion No.1, exploring how the railway has evolved over two centuries. The live brief, delivered as part of their degree course, provided an invaluable opportunity for students to combine historical research with practical design and fabrication skills, working to the requirements of a real-world client while contributing to a landmark regional celebration.

Some of the students involved shared their reflections about the project.

Amy Ann Foy – celebrating a local legacy

Amy Ann Foy, from Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough, created two banners promoting the Stockton and Darlington events. A former student of The Northern School of Art’s Middlesbrough campus, Amy used a combination of hand-rendered illustration, painting, sublimation printing, foiling, and sewing to complete her designs.

“I researched the history of Locomotion No.1 and its first journey from Darlington to Stockton,” Amy explained. “It was rewarding to bring that story to life through my artwork and to see it displayed publicly.”

Amy described the experience as “incredibly rewarding” and said working to a strict deadline helped her develop valuable project management and large-scale design skills.

“I’ve always had a huge interest in steam trains, so it was a privilege to contribute to such a meaningful local celebration.”

Daniela de Ponte Ferreira – a fabulous creative challenge

Daniela de Ponte Ferreira, a second-year student from Portugal, also designed and produced two double-sided banners for the project.

“The project spanned two months of intense development and experimentation,” Daniela said. “One side of each banner was completely hand-painted at a large scale which was a first for me.”

Daniela said the course training in printmaking and textile design as part of the first-year was crucial to her success. “It was an amazing opportunity to have my work exposed in a public forum,” she added. “I learned so much about working with external clients, meeting deadlines, and managing challenges in large-scale production.”

Holly Shinkfield – inspired by the world’s first passenger train

First-year student Holly Shinkfield, from Lancashire, joined The Northern School of Art after studying at Runshaw College, Leyland. Her designs focused on the history and engineering of Locomotion No.1, interpreting its story through dynamic compositions and intricate detail.

“I began by researching the world’s first passenger train journey and then created two double-sided banners over eight weeks,” Holly said. “I explored a wide range of techniques, from hand-painting with screen printing pigments to digitally enhancing and heat-transferring my ink drawings.”

Holly described the project as “daunting but exciting,” and said it provided a valuable opportunity to apply her course skills in printmaking, colour design, and product prototyping to a real-world brief.

Helping to develop skills for careers in the creative industries

Jayne Hemmins added: “The project not only highlighted the students’ artistic and technical skills but also their ability to collaborate across disciplines, engage with industry professionals, and respond creatively to a live brief, all vital experience for future careers in the creative industries.”

See more of the students’ work on Instagram: Find Amy’s work at: @_amyannart, Holly’s work at: @text.ilesbyholly and Daniela’s work at: @danielatextiles

Find out more about The Northern School of Art’s BA (Hons) Textiles and Surface Design degree HERE