Art students to transform waterfront underpass

Student will be inspired by the waterfront in their designs, organisers say

Art students will take their designs into the public arena by painting murals on to a newly reopened Jersey underpass link road.

Organisers have asked students to use the waterfront for their inspiration in painting the Esplanade link road underpass, which connects the waterfront with St Helier town.

Students from Hautlieu School, De La Salle College, Beaulieu Convent School and Highlands College will harness their "thoughts and imagination" for the project, organisers Jersey Development Company (JDC) said.

Vehicle access through the Esplanade Car Park underpass will be prohibited between 09:00 GMT and 16:00 on certain days when the students are painting, organisers said.

'Thoroughly impressed'

The underpass link, at the Esplanade car park exit connecting the former Esplanade car park to Route de la Liberation and the Waterfront, was recently reopened to reduce traffic on Rue de L’Etau and improve connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists.

Lee Henry, CEO of JDC, said: "JDC is delighted to be collaborating with the art students and we have been thoroughly impressed by the ideas and enthusiasm when they visited the site to discuss the brief.

"It is exciting to give the students an opportunity to showcase their work in this public setting”.

Jamie Cole, head of art at Hautlieu School said: “A focused team of Year 12 A-Level Art students took the lead in key decisions about the final design, drawing partly on their vision for the future of the Waterfront area.

"The Design Brief helped shape visuals, the colour scheme and motifs integrating key elements of community and public art. The students have embraced the project wholeheartedly, and hope to participate in similar projects in the future.”

Pedestrians and cyclists will be able to access Trenton Square throughout the project, JDC said.

The art project will run until 21 November.