VIVIDKIDS

Last year, the Primary Art department received an exciting proposal from Spinifex Group, a digital media agency. They offered a collaboration opportunity for a 6-minute animation to be showcased at the Vivid Sydney festival in 2023. Vivid Sydney, organised by Destination NSW, is a vibrant event spanning 23 days across multiple locations in Sydney.

To seize this chance, an internal projection mapping competition was initiated. Children designed images on iconic Sydney buildings, drawing inspiration from each structure’s unique shape to enhance their creative designs.

Projection Mapping Project

Six students from years 2, 3, and 6 were selected based on their originality, technical skills, and ability to harmonise designs with building shapes. The participants were David and George Zhang, Alyssa Cassimatis, James McFarlane, Shantini Garrick, and Ayana Mehra. Seven Blue Gum Community School children also joined this collaboration.

The animation focused on the threatened and endangered species of New South Wales, aligning with the 2023 Sydney Vivid theme of celebrating nature. Each child researched a specific habitat and its inhabitant animals, including those at risk. The chosen environments ranged from the Snowy Mountains and inner-city Sydney to the NSW coastline and arid deserts.

On February 20, 2023, CGS students attended a workshop at the Artyology studio led by Jason French, the creative director at Spinifex, and Melissa Lee, the executive producer. The workshop educated the children about projection mapping and animation. With the guidance of art teachers and Jason, the students created artwork digitally traced into Procreate, considering the buildings’ shapes.

The children’s artwork underwent digital enhancement in Photoshop before animator Tony Papesh brought it to life, involving the children at every stage.

This collaboration provides an excellent platform for celebrating children’s artwork and raising awareness about protecting threatened species. The media launch occurred on May 21, 2023, with children and families attending the event at Cadman’s Cottage in the Rocks, Sydney’s oldest building. The animation played daily during the Vivid Sydney festival, held from May 26 to June 17, 2023.

We thank Spinifex and Destination NSW for this incredible opportunity and the valuable experience it provided our students.

– Jessica Dabro, Teacher & Learning Assistant Primary School Visual Art