Young designer showcases talents for Old Town’s first Day of the Dead Festival

A talented young graphic designer has been given the opportunity to showcase her talents thanks to this weekend’s Day of the Dead Festival.

The festival has been organised by the Old Town Business Association, and Chair Kris Talikowski challenged Lawn Manor Academy’s Year 10 Graphic Design pupils to create a poster for the event and Phoenix, 14, was chosen as the winner.

The Day of the Dead festival, taking place on Wood Street, promises vibrant colour, Latin-American food and music, children’s art workshops and a closing street parade. 
There will also be a public ofrenda, a shared altar space where visitors can place photos and mementoes of loved ones, combining cultural heritage with Old Town’s community spirit.
Phoenix said: “I wanted to add lots of autumn colours and brighten them up. I experimented with a bunch of different skull designs which really made the piece more interesting.  
"I also did this because 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 take a real-life creative brief and create a piece of work that they feel meets that.  
"As a result, this is a fantastic chance for Phoenix to add this to her CV and portfolio, which will definitely help her in her future job prospects.  
"I am so proud of Phoenix, she has made a very positive start to her Graphics GCSE.  She has mentioned previously that Graphic Design is her passion and I learnt very early on that she is a born illustrator with a bright future ahead of her.
“We’re committed to giving our pupils real-life creative learning opportunities, as well as supporting local community projects.  
"To be able to work with Old Town Business Association and see their work displayed in their local streets really helps inspire our pupils and push them to pursue their ambitions beyond the classroom.”
Daniel Jacklin, Head of Aspirations and Futures at Lawn Manor Academy, said: “It’s amazing to see the hard work Phoenix has put into her poster and even better to see how what is learned in the classroom can be applied to the real world.  
"We are always striving to make classroom learning relevant for young people by involving our local community and employers wherever possible.”
The Day of the Dead Festival is being held on Sunday 2 November in Wood Street from 2pm until 7pm. Entry is £1.50 per person and can be booked at www.thisisoldtown.com/events/day-of-the-dead-festival.
Local businesses wishing to offer Lawn Manor Academy similar creative experiences are invited to email [email protected]
Lawn Manor Academy is part of the Ascend Learning Trust. For more information, visit www.lawnmanor.org