Church lights up for arts project trial

Film and animation designs have been projected onto the church

The interior of a Bournemouth church has been illuminated as part of a trial for an arts project telling the history and culture of the town.

Students at Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) are working with visual arts company Light Art Creatives on a plan to have animation, theatre and film projected onto St Peter's Church in the town centre.

They hope to have a permanent projection mapping system installed at the church, renowned for being the final resting place of Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein.

Parish warden Jane MacDonald said it "brings to life" the history of the area.

Julian Dorrell, director at Light Art Creatives, said the idea came about after a trip to Montréal in Canada, which has outdoor video-projection installations on walls, buildings, alleys and trees throughout the city.

He said: "I wanted to bring some of that magic to Bournemouth."

Having looked at to how and where he could make the idea work, St Peter's expressed an interest.

He is currently working with AUB to prove it is a viable concept before applying for funding and sponsorship, including a National Lottery bid.

The team have created a mock up of how the church could look with the projection system

Second year BA (Hons) animation production student Bryony Smith said: "It's so unusual to see your animation anywhere other than your own screen.

"So seeing it not only out in the world, but placed onto a historic building was really wonderful."

Jane MacDonald, parish warden at St Peter's, said: "We are delighted to be able to showcase these incredibly talented artists in this magical way.

"It brings to life the cultural heritage of the past whilst hopefully inspiring the artists, writers and musicians of the future."

An event to showcase the idea to the local community is being planned for the autumn.