Fine Art students contribute to 'magical' project at Orford Ness

Fine Art students at the University of Suffolk have contributed to a "magical" project for the opening weekend of the new season at a National Trust property.

The former top-secret nuclear testing site of Orford Ness, which has now been left to nature and is owned by the National Trust, opens its new season to visitors on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 April - its 30th visitor season.

For the opening weekend, visitors to the site will be able to experience the effects of a camera obscura, a phenomena which uses a mirror and lens to focus and project an image onto a flat surface. 

The camera obscura will be set up by Drs Jane Watt and Susan Barnet from the University of Suffolk as part of Camera O, a new project which draws on the heritage of observation and recording at Orford Ness, a once top-secret military testing site that’s been left to nature. 

Dr Jane Watt, Senior Lecturer in Fine Art at the University of Suffolk, says: “It’s a fantastic opportunity for students to apply their skills on a project rooted in the county, and for them to be a part of telling the story of Orford Ness.” 

“Camera O references early camera obscura technology and drawing to plot perspective, movement and activities in the sky, shingle and sea. The camera obscura is lo-tech – a lens and mirror are used to project an image of outside into a darkened room.  

“Experiencing this live image of projected light is magical, and we can’t wait for Orford Ness visitors to see how our students have worked with this inspiring landscape.” 

A camera obscura is a technique that was originally invented by artists to aid perspectival drawing, later adopted in science and the development of photography. It was used on Orford Ness in the Bomb Ballistics Building in the first half of the twentieth century to plot and gather data on bomb accuracy. 

Earlier this year, Susan and Jane, along with art technicians from the University of Suffolk, temporarily installed a working camera obscura on the first floor of the Bomb Ballistics building as part of a two-day residency with a group of first, second and third year BA (Hons) Fine Art students. 

They used the camera obscura as an instrument to observe the sky, sea and land south towards the Power House and Black Beacon. The result is a series of round drawings made directly from the projected camera obscura image, a selection of which has been curated for the Camera O exhibition and will be on show in the Bomb Ballistics Building from 5 April-26 October 2025. 

Dr Susan Barnet says: “Drawing with the camera obscura on Orford Ness was an experience of deep immersion in the environment of the site. The surrounding horizon became an image beneath our hands and, being inside the Bomb Ballistics building acted as a ghostly reminder of wartime planning and plotting.” 

Over the years, Orford Ness has inspired many visual artists and creatives.  

Last year, 12 University of Suffolk Fine Art students took part in the first Power House project, Make It Count, which was a two-part exhibition of observations and responses to the environment and shifting ecology of the Ness. The exhibition took place in the Power House, Orford Ness and the Waterfront Building of the University of Suffolk in Ipswich. 

Glen Pearce, Property Operations Manager at National Trust Orford Ness, says: “The Bomb Ballistics building is a fascinating part of our visitor journey – and also a very fitting location for Camera O. 

“Built in the 1930s, it was used as the operational centre for Orford Ness’ bombing range for over 40 years and originally used a camera obscura as part of the research. 

"Today, visitors know it best as the place you go for an unforgettable view over the shingle.” 

2025 marks the 30th year that Orford Ness has been open to visitors. Last year, the team welcomed over 13,400 visitors to the site, marking its fifth record-breaking season in a row. 

Visitors can experience Camera O in person on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 April as part of their standard admission, which can be booked online via the National Trust website here.

Orford Ness is open on Saturdays and Sundays until Sunday 25 May and then Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from Tuesday 27 May.  

The first tickets for the 2025 visitor season go on sale at 11am on Thursday 27 March, and tickets are released each Thursday for the following two weeks and must be pre-booked in advance. 

To find out more about the BA (Hons) Fine Art course at the University of Suffolk, visit the University website here.