Lost Wax Pilot Success

Lost Wax Cast ‘Flora and Fauna under threat in London' - Pilot School’s Competition.

Alongside the recent Whitechapel Lecture, which featured Artist and Sculpture Nick Hornby MA, was a display and prize giving for the ‘Lost Wax Cast ‘Flora and Fauna under threat in London' Project.

This was a display of ten bronze cast pieces created by year 12 students at the Sacred Heart High School in Hammersmith as part of The Worshipful Company of Founders' new pilot School’s Competition, sponsored through the Education Committee, to promote lost wax casting in schools, giving student hands on experience in design and materials sciences.  With inspiration from Abi Burt, sculptor, artist, whom the Founders have previously sponsored, and Richard Barton, Deputy Head of Technical Resources at the College (including their art foundry), the students were invited to select one species they felt needed special protection, complete some research to create a storyboard and then simulate in the form of a wax pattern from which a bronze casting was then made, together with a digitally scanned and printed version in resin.

The judges, Abi Burt, Katie Surridge from the Chellsea College, Founder’s Under Warden Alan Hughes and the School’s Head of Design and Technology, Lawrence Haddaway, then had the very hard task of selecting their top three designs with the winning students each receiving certificates and a cash prize.

First prize went to the Green Finch, followed by the Wing, inspired by a house sparrow, in second place and a tie for third place between the Red Squirrel and the Toad.

The opportunity to hold the display and prize giving alongside one of the Industry Committee’s regular Whitechapel lectures was welcomed by the Committee Chair and Cast Metals Federation CEO, Pam Murrell FICME, who said, “This evening was a perfect confluence of creativity and art, history, compassion for the environment and the importance of preserving urban biodiversity, recycling of metals and the future of materials science.  In a just a few short months this project has come to fruition, culminating in the fabulous evening at the College with representatives from the Founders, the castings industry, school pupils with their families and students and staff from the College all able to come together.”

Thanks are due to Bernie Rickinson, who has masterminded the whole project, the Founders’ committee volunteers and staff, Abi Burt, the staff at Chelsea College, City and Guilds College and The Sacred Heart High School and The Cast Metals Federation, CMF.

Look out for a future display of the storyboards and associated printed forms and cast bronzes at Founders Hall.

Pam Murrell, Chair of the Industry Committee