Story by Claire Will, SMGT
A new ceramic sculpture is being installed at this year’s Abbeyfield Park Festival as part of the Islamic Art inspired project called Pillars of Light Alive.
Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust (SMGT), funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, worked with people from across Burngreave to create the three-metre wide sculpture. Inspired by visits to the recent exhibition at Millennium Galleries, Palace and Mosque: Islamic Treasures of the Middle East from V&A, a number of residents worked with celebrated ceramic artist, Brian Holland, to create the work of art.
The groups all attend ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes at Bryon Wood School and Firshill Community Primary school and their teachers used the visits and the ceramic workshops as a practical way to enhance the groups’ English language skills.
Ameena Blake-Ali, ESOL tutor at Bryon Wood Primary School said: “The ladies absolutely loved it. It was a completely new experience for them.”
Participants made sketches and used these as inspiration to design tiles. The tiles were then joined together to make a circular sculpture, and will be installed in Abbeyfield Park in one of the circular grass roundabouts. Burngreave Building Company built the wall and foundations using materials that are in keeping with the heritage of the park.
The Lord Mayor, Jackie Drayton, will be helping to install a key piece of the sculpture at Abbeyfield Festival. Saskia Baker of Friends of Abbeyfield Park said:
“We are really looking forward to seeing the Abbeyfield Park ceramic sculpture at the festival. It’s great to see the park coming to life and being used in so many different ways.”
For further information contact Rebecca Lee, Hub Fundraising and Development Manager on 278 2675 or email Sally Travis, Project Coordinator on sallyltravis@yahoo.co.uk. Both will be on hand at the festival to answer any questions about the work.