CANW - James Dixon & Blackburn Orphanage

JAMES DIXON & THE BLACKBURN ORPHANAGE PROJECT

10th October 2012

Very exciting news today.  Child Action NW who own and operate the Orphanage at Wilpshire, are wanting publicity materials to do with a book which is to be published about JAMES DIXON, who founded the orphanage in 18?

The book is to be written by Melanie Warren.

Media  and Visual Communication students are invited to submit ideas for advertising and design of the book cover.



The Orphanage As It Is Today




We are invited to visit the orphanage next week for a tour and a brief about this.
I understand that records were kept of every child who stayed there, plus files, records and accounts.  It sounds as though there is a wealth of material.

It remains to be seen what the brief may be, but a couple of facts that I've already become interested in are: Ponto the Donkey, who played an important part in the orphanages and children's history.  Plus the fact that James Dixon was Scottish.



23rd October 2012
Unfortunately I missed out on the visit so didn't get to see the archives and photos.  I have managed to do a small amount of research and will hopefully be able to visit there soon.
In the meantime, using general photographic images printed from the Internet, we began experimenting with shapes and ideas, generally just playing around with the images we had, thinking about where this may take us, how the ideas can be expanded on, and exploring and thinking about different materials we could incorporate into the designs.

Layering The Same Image to Create a 3D Effect

Collage of Parts of the Buildings

Using card, gift wrap, tissue paper and cut images, I  created  a small concertina booklet.  Some of the photos were multiplied and overlapped. 

I enjoyed making this little booklet and was pleased with the end result.  I particularly like the dolls house page and the next one with the repetitive image of the boy.  Somehow I would like to incorporate this kind of collage and repetitive imagery into something else.

I have a few ideas for other things, and am researching into different techniques and styles.   I'm already interested in collage and stitched effects, so would like to investigate further, and try a piece along those lines, possibly a sampler style.   I am keen to incorporate James Dixons Scottish heritage, perhaps with some tarten somewhere and definately want to explore victorian toys, dolls and dolls houses.  Also the clothes and outfits they are all wearing.