Students showcased at International Festival
8 July 2013
Upcycled furniture on display in Albert Square
WITH the Manchester International Festival now in full swing, visitors to the festival pavilion in Albert Square have the opportunity to admire work by Manchester School of Art students.
Students from the Unit X module were given a brief by design company Ferrious to create tables and chairs for the “teepee” and terrace.
The students, including Charlotte Littlewood and Olivia Peerman, pictured, created upcycled furniture for the teepee, while the tables and chairs outside the hub were made using recycled plastic supplied by Centriforce in Liverpool.
Festival chairman Tom Bloxham said: “Manchester International Festival is a commissioning festival and it was great to work with our partners on some great furniture for ‘Festival Square’.”
Collaboration
Tom continued: “The collaboration between MIF, MMU and Ferrious, resulting in a live student led project and the realisation of a furniture design to be used in the Art School for years to come, is a great example of educational, industry and cultural cross collaboration which reflects the aspirations of all parties included.”
Academics Dave Grimshaw and Simone Ridyard worked alongside Ferrious to give the students a realistic design agency experience.
The MIF hub was also the location for the judging of the 5Plus Architects New Creative Talents competition, which was won by Sophie Mitchell.
A judging panel including Bryony Bond from the Whitworth Art Gallery, photographer Len Grant and architect Carly Grice selected several pieces from the Fine Art degree show to be exhibited at the Glass House at the hub before a winner was chosen.
Biospheric Project
MMU researcher Vincent Walsh’s Biospheric Project is one of the main MIF commissions, and will be open to the public until 21 July.
The urban farm, which is based in a derelict mill in Salford, looks at how families can continue to put food on the table in the face of rising food prices, climate change and growing urban populations.
The project has been profiled by the Guardian, the BBC and the Manchester Evening News.
Pictures courtesy of Ferrious/Paul Heyes Photography for the Manchester Evening News
