To mark the 60-year anniversary of the Race Relations Act of 1965, and as part of the Bristol Bus Boycott 360, Curiosity Un (Ltd) and Bauer Media Outdoor collaborated to launch Designs4Change, a national art competition that encouraged creatives to produce inspiring designs with themes of justice, protest and progress.
Out of over 150 submissions, City of Bristol College student, Gwen Balmer, was selected as one of 4 winners! Gwen’s artwork has been displayed at bus stops across Bristol since October 2024 and will continue to be shown until October 2026. The design will also be displayed on hundreds of Bauer Media Outdoor digital screens across the UK.
Gwen’s design is intentionally dynamic and injected with colour in order to draw the attention of the public and emphasise the celebration of the anniversary. It proudly features the names of individuals and groups that played a key part in the Bristol Bus Boycott in 1963.
Gwen commented: “I wanted to honour the most influential figures and groups involved in the boycott while amplifying the determination of Bristol’s Black community for the 60th anniversary.”
This is a remarkable achievement for Gwen as a young creative and a profoundly historic project to be involved in.
When asked about the competition, Gwen noted: “I think it’s really important to celebrate achievements that come from coming together as a community and standing up to oppression and discrimination.”
As part of this year’s Big Bristol Bus Boycott Takeover, a selected winning design is to be turned into a postcard that will be available for purchase at The Arnolfini. The winner will be unveiled on 28 August on the big screen at We The Curious.
Find out more about Design4Change here: Curiosity UnLtd
