W
L
WIRRAL TEACHER, STEVE GUINNESS ON
HIS CHANNEL 4 LEGOMASTERS WIN
As the popular series of LEGO Masters came to an end last month,
Birkenhead School was celebrating as their Head of Design and
Technology, Steve Guinness, picked up the trophy, alongside his
build partner, Nate Diaz.
The Channel 4 show was touted as the LEGO version of The Great
British Bake Off, with contestants tackling a different topic every week,
creating animals, food, furniture, and even people, out of LEGO. In each
episode, Steve and Nate, excelled in demonstrating their creativity and
versatility, creating a Chinese banquet out of bricks in the first episode,
a pirate-themed fun fair for episode two and in episode three, a whole
host of animals, including a lemur, crocodile and a chameleon for
the nature theme. In the final, the contestants were given three hours
to build a scenario from a child’s story in the ‘Pure Imagination’ task
and 10 days for their ‘Showstopper’ build which saw Steve and Nate
creating a scene of an office-worker whose ‘inner-child’ is unleashed and
featured life-sized human models, furniture, toys and even a functioning
typewriter all made out of LEGO pieces. Steve says “It has been a dream
come true being a part of the competition, being surrounded by like-
minded designers and working under the guidance of the Vice President
of LEGO, it’s something I never thought possible. I have always been
creative and enjoy bringing my ideas to life through LEGO. I loved
playing with LEGO as I grew up, and then when I went to university
I hid it away for a little bit, then once I was married and my own kids
appeared, I thought ‘yes! I can get all the LEGO out again.”
Within the last 10 years, Steve has pushed the boundaries of building,
and has had his work displayed at LEGO exhibitions, as well as writing
articles for magazines. Steve first heard about LEGO Masters through
a LEGO user group for AFOLs, or Adult Fans of LEGO, so both him
and his team mate Nate applied. As the LEGO world is not usually one
for competition, the competitive edge to the show is both unusual and
unmissable, no doubt why it has proved so popular with viewers. The
show has also helped Steve personally, “At the beginning of the process,
I didn’t have a lot of confidence in myself, but the experience has really
helped me to battle with my anxiety and boost my self-esteem.”
As winners of the show Steve and Nate will travel to the LEGO
Headquarters in Billund, Denmark for four days in October half-term,
alongside their fellow finalists Nicholas and Kobe. During their trip
they will get to recreate their LEGO creation from the final, where it will
be put on display. Matthew Ashton, judge and Vice-President of Design,
16 wirrallife.com
will also personally show them around and they will get to meet various
LEGO Design Teams.
Birkenhead School’s close-knit community got behind their very own
Mr Guinness as he took part in the competition, with him proving a hot
topic of discussion at school drop off and pick up times, as well as on
the school’s Facebook and Twitter accounts. On speaking to members
of his A-level class, the overall feeling is one of great happiness for Steve.
“Everyone is so incredibly proud of Mr Guinness’s achievements. There
wasn’t anyone in this school who wasn’t glued to their TV screens on the
night of the final, and, like many others, I hope Mr. Guinness continues
to flourish in the LEGO community” says Atreyi Saha, an A-level
student taught by Steve.
Paul Vicars, Headmaster at Birkenhead School, comments “The day
after the final, Steve brought the trophy in to share with the school
community. Everyone is so proud of his achievements and the pupils
from the youngest in Prep to sixth formers have all been congratulating
him. We’ve long admired Steve’s creativity and his inspirational work
in the classroom and it was fascinating to see the creations produced
during his time on the show.”
The curriculum at Birkenhead School includes LEGO and LEGO
Robotics within Design and Technology lessons as well as co-curricular
clubs within the School. “Using LEGO as an educational tool is engaging
and provides a platform for pupils to think critically and creatively -
whilst still having fun” comments Steve.
Following LEGO Masters, Steve, has said how he’d love to keep creating
LEGO builds and is keen to start making commissions, for Birkenhead
School and for others as well, and is very much looking forward to
future, LEGO-inspired, projects. Steve and his build partner Nate will
be in the limelight once again, when they appear on stage for interviews
at the LEGO enthusiast exhibition, BRICKLIVE, at the NEC in October.
LEGO Masters has done so much to highlight the passion and creativity
that LEGO fans have for their building medium, that this year’s
exhibition is sure to be a great success. When thinking about the legacy
of the show and of his high hopes for this popular programme, Steve
said, “I hope that it will inspire people to get some bricks out, throw
away the instructions and have a go at exploring their creative side and
to learn to embrace their inner child.”