Published on: Monday, 8 February 2016
Last updated: Wednesday, 5 October 2016
Students at a Colchester café have helped to brighten up local rail stations by creating artwork for a competition.
Budding artists from Level Best Café in Colchester have produced 14 colourful paintings which are now taking pride of place at rail stations on the Sunshine Coast Line, which runs between Colchester and Clacton-on-Sea.
The competition challenges people to visit five of the 12 stations, find the animal hidden in the artwork and take a photo. Entrants will then need to answer one question about local heritage and complete a rail safety slogan. Five winners will each receive £100 worth of high-street vouchers.
The students, who have learning difficulties or disabilities, spent three months creating the work.
Jayne Sumner, Rail Engagement Manager at Essex County Council, said: “We are thrilled with the work with the students – this has been a very rewarding project. I would like to thank them for all of their hard work, and extend my thanks to Jane at the cafe, who has been instrumental in delivering this project.”
Jane Ostler from the Level Best Café, said: “This project ticked all the boxes for us – it had a clear brief with a deadline and was highly visual and veering towards the fun and positive side of life. We have all been very happy to have been working with the Rail Engagement Office of South Suffolk and North Essex. What was particularly satisfying was the thought that we would be able to see the work at local places, and to consider the different stops along the line.”
The competition runs until 22 February and competition entry forms can be collected from branch line stations along the Sunshine Coast line, or online at http://bit.ly/1P3znBk