The former Royal Marine from Plymouth who retrained to become a glassblower

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A former Royal Marine from Plymouth who retrained to become a glassblower has described how the change of career has helped him overcome trauma.

Nathan Soper served as a Royal Marine for ten years before becoming a student at Plymouth College of Art where he learnt the skill of glassblowing - a technique that involves inflating molten glass into a bubble with a blowpipe.

"I decided to get into university and start glassblowing - it's fascinating what you can do with it - the different things you can make are endless", he said.

Nathan says the craft has become like "therapy" for him, after going through trauma during his time in the military.

Plymouth College of Art is one of only a handful of organisations in the country with hot glass facilities, offering glassblowing training

"It's just great for clearing my head and getting me out of that negative space, coming in here and creating something beautiful - it's amazing," he said.

"It's like a therapy for me. A way of clearing my head and losing myself, I come in and start blowing glass and I forget about all the trauma I've been through.

"Anyone who is struggling, picking up a craft like this is a game changer," he added.

Plymouth College of Art is one of only a handful of organisations in the country with hot glass facilities, offering glassblowing training.

For Nathan, it's been like a lifeline. "Without this course down this part of the country, I don't know what I'd be doing right now to be honest," he said.

Nathan says the craft has become like a "therapy" for him

Gayle Matthias, programme leader at Craft & Material Practises told ITV News glassblowing is something people can become passionate about very soon after picking it up.

"It really hooks particular students in as a discipline but once they get the bug of glassblowing it's quite difficult to draw them away from the furnace," she said.

On Friday 18 and Saturday 19 March, Plymouth College of Art is opening its doors to anyone who wants to learn more about the ancient art form of glassblowing.