How much do you know about the Clifton Suspension Bridge? It’s one of Bristol’s most famous landmarks, over 4 million vehicles pass over it each year and it’s been at the epicentre of many important cultural events; including the last flight of concord and the passing of the olympic torch. 2014 marks the 150th Anniversary of the Clifton Suspension Bridge and needless to say there are many plans to celebrate the Landmark. The Clifton Bridge Website states…
“Clifton Suspension Bridge was opened on 8th December 1864 and attracted a crowd of between 60 and 150,000 revellers who filled the streets of Bristol. Three parades wound their way to the bridge and a procession of the most important people in the city marched across to cannon fire and the national anthem before it was officially declared open. 150 years later, a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £595,000 is being used to create a brand new Heritage and Learning Centre in Leigh Woods which will be open free of charge to the public. It will contain an exhibition about the history and engineering of the bridge and the story of its creation.”
In addition to the brand new learning centre, we will be working with students and staff from UWE, as well as tour guides from the bridge, to create a GPS based mobile app that will act as an AppTrail, soundwalk and guide to the bridge.
In a collaboration between Calvium, UWE and the Clifton Suspension Bridge Trust, Film and Media students from UWE are being invited to take the lead in developing the app. Bringing the history of the bridge to life through audio and video story telling – the students will be gathering content to include on the app, which they will then build with help and tutorials from us.
Chris Booy, Chairman of the Clifton Suspension Bridge Trust, said “The new app will enhance visits to the bridge by providing an immediate, on location experience and giving the Trust a method of providing interpretation 24 hours a day. Over half a million people visit the Bridge each year and we are sure that they will find the app a valuable addition to their visit.”
Dr Charlotte Crofts (Senior Lecturer in Filmmaking and Creative Media) says “Working with Laura Hilton on such an exciting project has been invaluable for UWE students from the Faculty of Arts, Creative Industries and Education to gain work experience on a live-brief. It’s been amazing watching the students engage with the Clifton Suspension Bridge Trust to bring the bridge to life in a location-based app. Within the space of a month, they have been trained to use the Calvium AppTrails platform, researched the hidden stories of the bridge and completed the first iteration of the app for user testing.”
The app and the exhibition are scheduled for launch at the Suspension Bridge’s new Heritage and Learning Centre in Leigh Woods in December 2014. It will be available free of charge to users of apple and android devices.
