The display marks the culmination of a partnership between Leonardo and Yeovil College that challenged students to design an artwork for display at the company, as part of their curriculum.
To inform their work, the students were invited to iAero – the aerospace centre dedicated to innovation, collaboration, and sustainable aviation, formed through a strategic partnership between Somerset Council and Leonardo.
This year’s chosen theme was ‘Time’, so following a tour of iAero, the students were given background information about Leonardo’s rich aviation roots in the region, which stretch back far in time to the first manufacture of aircraft in 1915.
The students designed their pieces to fit the display boards in the boardroom of our Yeovil site. To ignite their creativity, all artwork mediums were encouraged, with a combination of paintings, digital paintings, digital collages and camera-less photography techniques submitted.
The project culminated in a presentation evening held at iAero, with the students and parents invited alongside representatives from Leonardo and Yeovil College, including Adam Clarke, Managing Director Leonardo Helicopters UK, and Mark Bolton CEO and Principal at Yeovil College, who presented the certificates and prizes.
Adam spoke about the importance of the close interlinking partnerships between Leonardo, Yeovil College, and the surrounding communities. He also described how the artistry and creativity captured in the students’ work is equally applicable and necessary in engineering, and that projects such as the art competition can highlight the connection between innovation and creativity.
The winners were selected via a two-stage process, with Yeovil College nominees presented to Leonardo, followed by voting from members of the HR department where the artwork will be located. Scores were then combined for the top 3.
Joshua Barry, Graduate Mechanical Engineer at Leonardo Helicopters UK, said: "I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the artwork on display. The creativity, passion and focus the students put into these pieces is clear, and they look brilliant. I believe seeing the effort and care the students put into their artwork will inspire us every day to do the same."
