Derry school pupil's winning ‘Brand A Bus’ design brought to life

Eight brilliant young artists from across Northern Ireland saw their creative vision burst into life on a newly wrapped Translink double-decker bus at Belfast Grand Central Station today. Chosen from more than 1,000 entries, the wonderfully creative winning pieces themed around ‘painting a greener future’ are now set to travel far and wide.

Excitement built as the eye-catching bus rolled into the station; the big reveal marked the first time the young artists had seen their winning designs brought to life on such a scale, creating a striking new addition to the Translink fleet.

For the eight young winners, the thrill didn’t stop at seeing their artwork ‘on the move’. Each received a bumper art pack prize to fuel their creative journey and enjoyed an inspiring illustration workshop led by local artist and competition judge Rory Quigg.

Seven-year-old Tom, a pupil at Derry's Oakgrove Integrated Primary School, was one of eight young artists selected from over 1,000 entries.

Belfast Grand Central Station provided the perfect backdrop for the unique celebration as this month the iconic facility marks its first year anniversary since opening.

Over the past 12 months, the station has welcomed over 8 million people through its doors  and helped deliver more than 4 million extra passenger journeys across the wider public transport network, demonstrating how more people are making the switch to sustainable travel.

Speaking at the bus reveal, Chris Conway, Translink Group Chief Executive, said: “The response to our first ever ‘Brand A Bus’ competition has been fantastic and for over 1,000 young people from all corners of Northern Ireland to have taken part is quite an achievement.

“This campaign really showcases how younger generations see the world around us: hopeful and unafraid to dream big. I think when people see this bus on local routes, it will be a true eye-opener as we continue the fight against climate change. I’d like to congratulate the competition winners and thank everyone who took part.”

READ NEXT: Bounce Festival kicks off this week in Derry

Local artist and competition judge Rory Quigg added: “The standard of entries was incredible; the imagination and talent shown by these young people was inspiring. To see their work celebrated on something as visible and everyday as a double decker bus is fantastic.

“It means thousands of people across Northern Ireland will get to enjoy their creativity and hopefully it will encourage the artists to keep going with their ideas and inspire more people to take climate action.”

The Brand A Bus competition encouraged children to imagine a sustainable future for Northern Ireland, with an emphasis on encouraging greater public transport use. Entries were received from six regions across NI and the campaign also supports ambitions outlined in Translink’s Climate Positive Strategy.