Drax 3D model

In Summer 2022, I was awarded a seed commission from East Street Arts, Leeds, to develop new work using equipment based at Convention House. It was the chance to begin a project that was in the very early stages of thought. It concerns Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire. Drax is the UK’s largest power station supplying 5% of the country’s electricity. Its conversion from coal to biomass, as its primary fuel, was intended to reduce emissions. But environmental campaigners argue the switch to biomass led to an increase in carbon emissions and created a demand for millions of tonnes of wood pellets, causing deforestation. 

The seed commission enabled me to consider the sheer physical presence and power of this huge energy production site. I learned some 3D modelling and 3D printing so that I could produce a miniature model of Drax Power Station, as a kind of inversion of its real scale. Learning to use the software (Blender) to sculpt cooling towers was a challenge. The 3D-printed model I produced provided a focal point for studio experiments with video footage and other research material. The model and 3D digital environment enabled me to circle around the structures and gain some perspective on them.