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Photo: Leap of Faith by Ben Dearnley of athlete: Alexander O'Connell- Fencing

3 March 2010, Colchester Stadium unveiled the first round of works created for 'Journey to the Podium' - a project created and funded by Essex County Council as part of the Team Essex Ambassador's Awards scheme for London 2012 hopefuls. 

Between now and 2012 Essex County Council will commission a group of professional artists and heritage professionals to work with the talented London 2012 hopefuls, creating an exhibition of original works that will grow each year and culminate at a grand exhibtion in 2012, marking a significant contribution to the Essex Legacy from the 2012 Games. 

The March 2010 'Journey to the Podium' exhibition was launched at Weston Homes Community Stadium, Colchester on the evening of 3 March.  This collection of eight works comprises painting, animation, photography, film and sound.

The artwork will be displayed at Colchester's Community Stadium until November, when it will take up residence at the Gibberd Gallery in Harlow.

The council's Arts Development Manager Lindsey Strange explained the thinking behind Journey to the Podium.

"We created a brief to create artworks that reflected the personality of the athletes and their sport, so that it could be a permanent legacy for Essex's journey to the podium," she said.

"I think for the artist it's the chance to work with inspirational people who have a lot of ambition to get towards 2012 and also to be part of the Olympic journey," she said.

"For the sports people it's the opportunity to have themselves immortalised in great art."

Journey to the Podium 2009 collaborations:

• Sculptor Ben Dearnley and fencer Alex O'Connel
• Multi-media artist Elaine Tribley and wheelchair racer Anne Wafula-Strike
• Photographer Marc Burden and cyclist Russell Hampton
• Painter Mark Orbell and sprint hurdler Sarah Claxton
• Photographer Ron Suffield and race walking twins Dominic King and Daniel King
• Animator Paul Heard and disability swimmer Ryan Crouch
• Sound artist Tim Skinner and hockey player Chloe Rogers
• Graphic illustrator Wei Ong and basketball player Francesca Whitby

Billericay artist Paul Heard worked with schoolchildren to create a short animation of disability swimmer Ryan Crouch.

"If you break it down, art is about self expression and freedom about what you're creating," he said.

"I think with sport there are a lot of similarities in that respect in terms of expressing yourself through movement."

Dunmow hockey player Chloe Rogers worked with sound artist Tim Skinner on the audio-visual piece, 'Bully'.

"I've not had the chance to work with art before and its brought out a different side of hockey, and the sounds you wouldn't normally here" she said.

"You obviously get the noise of a backboard in a game when you score a goal, whereas with this you actually the sound of the finer detail of when the stick hits the ball."

By the start of the 2012 games the project hopes to have set up 26 partnerships.

Click here for more information about Journey to the Podium and the 2012 collaborations

Click here for more information about Team Essex Ambassadors