28 February 2017

S4C has worked closely with students from Cardiff School of Art and Design, Cardiff Metropolitan University, to create an image to celebrate Saint David's Day on the TV channel.

The image – a daffodil made out of thumb prints – will be broadcast on S4C on Wednesday, 1 March 2017. It will also appear on all the Channel's various platforms; from social media to the website; and from live broadcast to adverts.

S4C asked second year students studying Graphics Communications to create a package of images to celebrate Welsh identity and culture. The students formed groups to respond to the brief, with S4C choosing the best brief out of all the submissions.

The group who got the 'thumbs up' from S4C, and created the best image were Jessica King from Caerphilly, Laura Pickard from Pontypridd, Chris Hall from Newcastle Upon Tyne, Robert Lange from Monkton Pembrokeshire and Wilka Koch from Mainz, Germany.

S4C's aim was to form a partnership with an educational establishment to offer students experience and opportunities in this particular field and a little taste of life after leaving university. S4C worked with the students throughout the project to bring their idea to life; guiding and training the students to make the image suitable to use on various S4C platforms.

Roberts Lange, who was part of the winning team said, "We thought that thumbprints symbolised individual identity. Working with S4C on creating the image has been an eye opening experience for me. It's exciting because it's something that's going to be on my portfolio when I look for a job, after graduating. I'll definitely help me when I finish university, because it's something that I'll definitely talk about, and something to be proud of."

Ian Weir, a lecturer at Cardiff School of Art and Design Cardiff Metropolitan University was glad that the students were able to work on a professional project.

Ian Weir said, "The S4C St David’s Day project provided an exciting opportunity for students to work with real clients on a real brief, with support from tutors. This not only encouraged students to develop their creative thinking abilities, but also their communication, team working and time management skills, all vital for future employability."

S4C's Director of Communications, Gwyn Williams said; "It was a fantastic chance for S4C to work with creative students to get new and fresh ideas to promote the channel. The image we've chosen is an original and dynamic interpretation of our national flower; as well as a contemporary celebration of our patron saint."