South Staffordshire College students design ‘staffy’ for new Staffordshire Bull Terrier trail 

Art and Design students from South Staffordshire College have been working with local artist Joanna Dawidowska today as part of a creative workshop to help design a new sculpture for The Staffy Trail, a county-wide public art trail celebrating Staffordshire’s culture and creativity.

During the workshop, students shared ideas, explored themes and developed design concepts that will inspire the final artwork for a Staffordshire Bull Terrier sculpture, affectionately known as a “Staffy”.

The Staffy Trail will launch on Staffordshire Day and will see a series of large-scale, artist-designed sculptures appear across the county, encouraging residents and visitors to explore town centres, discover local stories and engage with art in public spaces.

The workshop gave students a hands-on opportunity to work alongside a professional artist, contribute to a live public art project, and see how creative ideas are developed from concept through to final design. Their contributions will directly influence a sculpture that will be enjoyed by the wider community throughout the spring and summer.

Speaking about the project, South Staffordshire College said the collaboration highlights the importance of giving students real-world creative experiences and opportunities to shape cultural activity in their local area.

The finished sculpture will be installed near Lichfield train station and unveiled as part of the trail from 1 May, which will and runs throughout the spring and summer, bringing colour, creativity and a sense of local pride to communities across Staffordshire. After the trail completes, the Staffy sculpture will live outside Lichfield College.

Faculty Director for Creative, Chris Hopkins, “This has been a brilliant opportunity for our students to work with a professional artist and see their ideas contribute to a high-profile public art project. It’s exciting to know that their creativity will be visible to the whole community from May.”

Local artist, Joanna Dawidowska said “The Staffy Trail is all about inviting people into our town centres and shared public spaces, and it’s been fantastic to work with students to co-design a sculpture that tells a story of inclusion – that there really is something for everyone in Staffordshire. Coming back to work at Lichfield College again has been really special for me, and it’s been lovely to see the creativity and enthusiasm of the students and staff.”