Student to animate LV21

A light projection technique made famous at Buckingham Palace during the Queen's Jubilee is being used on a decommissioned ship in Kent as part of a University for the Creative Arts (UCA) project.

Tom Beg, who is studying for a Masters in Design for Performance & Events at UCA Rochester, is creating a visual art installation using 'projection mapping' which can create stunningly real animations on buildings and unusual surfaces.

The high-tech installation will form part of the International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend (ILLW) on 18-19 August and will celebrate light communications, including Morse Code, aboard the decommissioned LV21 lightship moored at Gillingham Pier.

Tom, who is 22 and from Ashford in Kent, said: "I'm really excited about bringing the inside of a decommissioned ship to life.

"Projection Mapping allows any surface or object to tell a story so the possibilities are almost unlimited.

"I'm hoping to present the interior of a ship in a way that no-one has ever seen before. I think the features of a boat offer something different to what you'd usually expect from projection mapping which has mostly been used on large scale buildings, such as Buckingham Palace."

Tom has been researching and developing his own projection mapping techniques during his Masters degree and this project will be part of his final piece of coursework.

He said: "This project provides a natural conclusion to the techniques and research I've been developing over the past year.

"Having produced a few smaller scale projections in the past, I wanted to develop something that gave these techniques a real purpose – artistically and commercially - which is why I'm proud it's part of a major international festival."

Tom's work can be seen on LV21 at Gillingham Pier from 10.30am-4pm on 18-19 August.

LV21 is a 40-metre-long steel-hulled lightship which is being transformed into a floating cultural facility to provide a range of services to promote and support the creative industries in Medway and beyond.