Ignite Imaginations, a participatory arts charity, has been commissioned by Efficiency North to create five pieces of unique artwork, based on the organisation’s values. These will be displayed in a week-long, free exhibition at the renowned Sheffield Winter Garden. Through this collaboration, Ignite Imaginations has been able to bring together community partners to learn alongside professional artists and to provide over 40 hours of free creative activity to over 70 local people who wouldn’t ordinarily have had such an opportunity. And enable the participants to invite friends, family and the Sheffield public to see their work exhibited on a prominent stage. Four artists have been working separately with five local community groups based in and around Sheffield to produce five large original works of art. The works will first be exhibited in Sheffield’s Winter Garden for the enjoyment of the public from Monday 12th at 4pm to Friday 16th December before being installed in Efficiency North’s Collaboration Works office on Carbrook Street. Each of the five artworks is based around one of Efficiency North’s organisational values: We enjoy, We’re aware, We give, We care, We make it happen together. The groups that took part were Parson Cross Community Forum, working with artist Peter Griffiths, SAGE in Burngreave, working with artist Alex Blakey, and St Wilfrid’s Centre in Lowfield, working with artist Beatrice Lee Knowles. Firvale Community Hub and The River Stewardship Company in Newhall both worked with artist Ali Bird. One participant said “We stuck on different words to describe our emotions and feelings and made it into a significant piece that shows other people how we appreciate other people in the centre. We also made a print and collage which is going up in the Winter Gardens to show the public how we are all a big family and all stick together.” And Ignite Imagination’s artist Ali Bird said “There were a number of women who hadn’t done any Art since school. Their obvious pleasure at the end in their embellished mandala prints was so rewarding.”
Chief Executive of Efficiency North Lee Parkinson said: “We are very excited to be working on this unique art project with Ignite Imaginations, the artists and local groups. We hope that everyone who took part enjoyed the experience, coming together to learn new skills to create a lasting artistic impression of their lives and communities.”
Each piece will be displayed in the Winter Garden, Sheffield City Centre from Monday 12th, 4pm - Friday 16th December 2022, 3pm and we hope the people of Sheffield will come along and enjoy these community artworks.
