New College Star Wars

New College students create unique BB-8’s for Star Wars DVD launch in London.

A talented group of students from the Textiles and Art Department at New College Swindon were given the rare opportunity to create their own BB-8 designs for the latest Star Wars DVD launch.

Five BB-8 designs were chosen for the launch, with one of them being created by Dan Hazelton, Design and Technology lecturer at New College. The other four creations were made by students and specially selected to go alongside a host of celebrity designs at the exhibition which took place at the White Rainbow Gallery in London.

The chosen BB-8’s included designs based on David Bowie, Shakespeare, The Great Western Railway in Swindon, Crocheting and Celtic origins.

Sheryl Hadgkiss studies Business, Textiles and Fashion and Art Craft and Design at New College. She decided to use a crochet design for her BB-8. “Crocheting ‘Granny Squares’ is a very British pastime! For my BB-8 I have been inspired by the very British craze of Yarn Bombing and the revival of craft skills in knitting and crochet.  I’ve only just learnt this skill myself a couple of months ago and now I can’t stop!”

Art and Design HND student Robyn Drew wanted to put a local spin on her BB-8 design. She said: “This piece is a tribute to the GWR works in Swindon which was started by two Great British Victorian engineers Isambard Kingdom Brunel and Daniel Gooch.  The design depicts actual locomotive numbers and parts which were made in the town. I think the introduction of the railways across Britain helped develop trade and social links across the country. The railways were a turning point in travel in Britain and help unite a whole country rather than segregate counties.”

The New College BB-8’s will now take pride of place in the Disney offices for people to admire and for touring purposes. The celebrity designs from well-known faces including Jonathan Ross and Simon Pegg, will auction theirs off to help raise money for charity.

Karen Pau, Section Leader for Art & Design at New College said: “This was such a fantastic opportunity for our students, giving them the chance to show off their unique designs. I was absolutely blown away by the quality and standard of their work and I think they should be very proud of their BB-8’s. I think it’s a real credit to the students knowing that their creations will now go on show at the Disney offices.”

For more information on Textiles and Art and Design courses at New College visit www.newcollege.ac.uk or call 01793 611470.