CORNISH STUDENTS MAKE WAVES IN ART AND SCIENCE WITH PORTHCURNO MUSEUM

The worlds of science, art and education will come together in the first steps of an innovative £100,000 project at the Porthcurno Telegraph Museum in West Cornwall. Three artists have been specially commissioned from the length and breadth of the UK to work with local schoolchildren to create ideas to inspire science-related installations for the museums' Waves Science Sculpture Park.

Working with GCSE students from Humphrey Davy School in Penzance and Camborne Science and Community College, the artists will spend two days at the museum working together to create the inspiration for the final pieces that will explore the subject of electromagnetic fields, the science which underlies much of the equipment on display at the museum. The Waves Science Sculpture Park will attract a wider range of people to the unique museum and the new sci-art garden.

The project has been funded by NESTA, the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, the PK Trust and Penwith District Council. It has been executed with the support of Creative Partnerships, which encourages students to understand more about their own learning processes.

As the project is progressing so well Creative Partnerships has now pledged a further substantial sum of money. This will set up a new competition for youth groups - including schools - to design an independent piece of public art, based on the same concepts of electromagnetic waves and fields, which will be installed amongst those produced by the professional artists in the museum grounds.

The sculptures themselves will take into account learning styles, such as visual, aural and kinetic. The artists have been briefed to produce tactile pieces of work to make them accessible for those with visual or learning difficulties and their work with over local schoolchildren will inform and inspire the end results.

Paul Woodward, Assistant Head at Humphry Davy School, said: "This is a fascinating and very effective way for our students to get to grips with the principles of electro-magnetism. This project offers opportunities for a wide range of people to learn more about science and art, and shows the opportunities that exist to gain valuable learning experiences outside of the classroom. Our pupils have been given this wonderful opportunity to make links between the sciences and arts, rather than as separate subjects within the curriculum and everyone has benefited as a direct result."

Lesley Allen, project co-ordinator for Waves Science Sculpture Park, said: "We believe that exposure to scientific ideas in a non-academic setting broadens its appeal to the non-scientist.

"The students have been learning about what the electro-magnetic spectrum is and how it works - through this work they will be helping other people understand how electro-magnetic fields affect every aspect of our lives and environment."

London artist Tom Grimsey has already created several pieces of art for public and urban spaces. He is currently a Senior Lecturer in sculpture at Brighton University and has recently become fascinated by the work of Faraday, Maxwell, Tesla and other scientists while developing a project built around static and moving electromagnets, and how the fields affect ferrofluids and magnetic gel. The Waves project builds well upon this experience.

He has produced interesting public art pieces connected to the immediate environment by planting schemes which will be interesting in Porthcurno's extensive gardens. He is excited at the prospect of attracting pupils to engage with the physical sciences, and is a regular participant at local Café Scientifique in Brighton and London.

He said: "I know the Porthcurno area well from past visits and I'm delighted to come and work here. I'm particularly interested in this project as electromagnetism has become central to my work - as an artist it's a really interesting challenge of opening up these ideas to a wider public."

Balint Bolygo, also from London, regularly explores technology and engineering with his work which currently includes a Colour and Chemistry exhibition in Sherborne, Dorset.

He studied both Art and Design and Physics and Chemistry to a high level before deciding on art as a career and this cross-over of art and science training shows in his use of science and technology to produce vibrant and kinetic installations works.

While he has had less experience of producing exhibitions and public art than the other two artists, his enthusiasm and freshness for sci-art projects is overwhelming and he is certain to draw some exciting ideas from the participating students.

He said: "This is a very important platform to continue my research, as well as share ideas with people who are brought together by the Porthcurno Museum. The subject of "waves" has been a great inspiration in my work and the opportunity to make permanent work that heightens people's senses in both art and science is a fantastic challenge."

Edinburgh artist Renny Nisbet has a background in electro-magnetic theory, having studied electrical engineering as an apprentice in the coal mining industry. He went on to study art at Exeter College of art and has already produced works based around wave theory including a recent project exhibited in Cambridge built around atmospheric radio energy emitted by lightning around the planet. He has produced public art pieces and exhibitions across Europe, and also has considerable experience of working with young people.

He said: "The educational element of the Waves project definitely appealed to me, as I find working with young people and students both challenging and rewarding. I'm looking to explore a range of electromagnetic phenomena and theory through dynamic artwork."

The Waves Science Sculpture Park project is due to continue until 2008. Following this initial phase of the project, the art and science students will continue their work in March during National Science and Engineering Week where they will bring back some formulated ideas to further develop their concepts.

Issued on behalf of Porthcurno Telegraph Museum by Excess EneRGy Communications. For further information, photography or interviews please contact Rhona Gardiner on rhona@excessenergycomms.com or 07740 410052.