Abstract

An animation depicting the story of mining and the surrounding creative culture in the 1870's.

This piece is a 1-minute animation that depicts mining and hints at the surrounding culture of crafting and the creation of Spar boxes, often referred to as bonny boxes, which were sold at local trade and craft fairs. These pieces would serve as ornamental pieces that would sit proudly in many miners' homes. Often these pieces would be constructed from stolen gems and crystals from mining.

Produced over several months, the animation will form a central piece of the mine and be projected at Killhope Mining Museum entrance to commemorate the reopening and to celebrate the mine as a historical space.

This is the third piece created for a growing collection of cultural pieces for Durham County Council and the second for The Story Museum. This piece celebrates the rich history of mining within the region.

The purpose of the piece was to tell a story and to showcase the rich artefacts of the bonny boxes. The content comprises 2d, 3d and experimental mapping techniques.

In the piece on show, McQuillan is interested in the historical nature and storytelling via animation and projection. Collectively, they are immersive tools that go hand in hand to tell and share visually informative and engaging stories for all audiences.