If you visited Sherbert Lounge on Sunday night then you had a special treat. As well as the usual well stocked bar the venue was filled with exhibits put together by local artists. The works included photography, fashion, fine art, illustration & film all accompanied by live music performances.

Organiser Sophé Hitchman explained, “We’re trying to draw local contemporary artists together for collaborative projects, this is the second Big Collab and we have two more events planned this summer.”

Emily O’Connor, an illustration student at Arts University College Bournemouth, describes her work as “quite creepy” going on to say that she is inspired by the weird and the wonderful and draws on her personal experiences. One of her exhibits, ‘Captain Todd’ inspired by her grandfather is a stylized portrait of a naval officer with a full beard and finely groomed moustache. Another, ‘First Kiss’, is a set of three fairytale pieces combining photography and illustration. Here you have some Local Bournemouth News.

Dom Beno, a screen writer and filmographer is exhibiting for the second time, “It’s a good outlet for local artists, something that’s not otherwise available outside of uni, it’s growing and improving. Considering all the great art courses at AUCB and BU there’s not enough happening in town. When you look at places like Brighton the cultural scene is thriving; we need more events like this.”

The next Big Collab is planned for August, more information on BHbeat.com when it’s released.