A talented young designer from Lawn Manor Academy in Swindon has seen her creativity come to life this weekend, with her artwork chosen to promote the town’s first-ever Day of the Dead Festival on Sunday 2 November.
The festival, organised by the Old Town Business Association, will transform Wood Street in Swindon’s Old Town into a celebration of colour, culture and community spirit, with Latin-American food and music, children’s art workshops, a public ofrenda (shared altar space) and a lively closing street parade.
When association chair Kris Talikowski invited Lawn Manor Academy’s Year 10 Graphic Design students to create a poster for the event, 14-year-old Phoenix’s striking design stood out. Her artwork will now feature across Old Town, helping to bring the festival to life for residents and visitors.
“I wanted to add lots of autumn colours and brighten them up,” said Phoenix. “I experimented with a bunch of different skull designs which really made the piece more interesting. I wanted to highlight the diversity of different skulls, people attending the event and those we will be celebrating at the event. I love illustration and really enjoy studying Graphics at Lawn Manor Academy and hope to do this in the future.”
Emma Morrison, Graphics subject lead at Lawn Manor Academy, said, “This was an amazing opportunity for all of our Graphic Design pupils to respond to a real-life creative brief. Phoenix has made a fantastic start to her Graphics GCSE, and this experience is something she can proudly include in her CV and portfolio. She’s a born illustrator with a bright future ahead of her.”
Daniel Jacklin, Head of Aspirations and Futures at the school, added, “It’s amazing to see Phoenix’s classroom learning applied to a real-world project. We’re always striving to make learning relevant by involving our local community and employers wherever possible.”
The Day of the Dead Festival takes place in Wood Street, Old Town, Swindon, on Sunday 2 November from 2pm to 7pm. Entry is £1.50 per person and tickets can be booked at www.thisisoldtown.com/events/day-of-the-dead-festival.
Lawn Manor Academy is part of the Ascend Learning Trust. For more information, visit www.lawnmanor.org.
