University News Last updated 21 May 2021
Design students at Birmingham City University have created a life-size installation made entirely out of paper and cardboard bringing six-legged creatures from across the globe to life to mark Insect Week (June 21 – 27) as well as a return to campus.
Dozens of first-years worked around the clock to create the intricate pieces of artwork, each reflecting an anatomically created insect, on a human-sized scale using around700 metres of paper and corrugated cardboard.
The project, which was started during the UK’s lockdown, saw 20 students from the University’s Design for Performance: Theatre, Film and Live Events course work individually at home to research, draw and plan construction of three insects of their choosing based on any creature native to countries spanning five continents.
As Covid restrictions eased and students became more accustomed to wearing masks and being socially distanced in a studio at Birmingham’s historic School of Art building, the group came together to work around the clock to create the immersive installation.
The concept to create insects came after students who were unable to access studio space during the national lockdown, imagined the space had been overrun by creatures. The installation pays tribute to many of the buildings which have been left vacant while people across the country played their part in tackling Covid-19, and celebrates students’ return to campus.
Students on practice-based courses such as the Design for Performance degree were able to return to campuses across the country from Monday 8 March 2021.
Student Jess Ingram has designs on a career in creating immersive sets for festivals. She said:
“We've not been at Margaret Street (home of the School of Art) for very long. And so they've sort of overtaken and like it kind of, in its own way, the idea made me uncomfortable, which is, I think, is also the point of it. When I began to sort of research insects, I definitely found that they made me feel really strange. I went for a Brazilian tree Hopper, which is insane looking. It’s just one of the most bizarre things I've ever seen. So we were encouraged to try things that were different.
The annual paper installation has picked up momentum, profile and media interest in recent years, with themes including the Great British Music Festival, World War One Centenary, and Shakespeare’s 400th birthday.
Graduates from the Birmingham School for Creative Arts discipline have gone on to work for Boomtown Fair, the Royal Shakespeare Company, Selfridges and the V&A.