St Marie's Cathedral, Sheffield
Heritage and Volunteer Manager, delivering HLF Activity Programme
I delivered the last seven months of St Marie's LORA HLF Activity Programme, recruiting and managing a team of volunteers as well as delivering a events and learning programme for schools and the public.
Festival of Angels, November – December 2017
Over 500 Visitors to the Cathedral, adult learners, school pupils and members of community groups participated in a community Festival of Angels at the Cathedral - working on creating their own Angel artwork, creative writing and poetry all inspired by the Angels of St Marie’s. The work culminated in a new display about the heritage and art of the Cathedral’s Angels. The festival opened on 2nd December with a special launch event, and throughout December there was a programme of public events, including craft workshops, tours of the Cathedral and Advent music demonstrations.
Interpretative panels were researched and created to help visitors to engage with the 200+ angels which can be discovered in the Cathedral. The research required identifying the examples of symbolism and biblical stories and linking these to the art and history of the building in a way which would be appealing to all visitors, including non-Catholics. Using local archives it was also possible to research and include the stories of past parishioners who are commemorated in the church through the stained glass and statues.
Service and Sacrifice Display, January 2018
This exhibition was developed with a group of student volunteers from the University of Sheffield, researching the Cathedral’s war memorial and uncovering the stories of the parishioners named on the plaque, as well as the role of the Cathedral in the community during the First World War.
The research including searching military records and newspaper archives as well as image sourcing through local photograph collections. A series of 12 panels were created charting the personal stories of the people associated with the Cathedral and linking in with the wider story of Sheffield and how men, women, children and animals all had a role in the war effort.
Panels designed by Studio DBD (www.studiodbd.com)
