Creative students are being given the chance to see their work exhibited at a one-thousand-year-old church in Billingham.
Bede Sixth Form College has joined forces with Northfield School and Sports College and the Friends of St Cuthbert’s Church to showcase students’ work, while reminding the public of this “hidden gem” of a building.
“Our ambition is to once again make the church more of a community hub,” said chairman of the Friends group, Ken Wilson. “We want to get people into the building and able to access the space for community groups and events, as well as being a place of worship.”
With a Saxon tower dating back to 1000AD, Ken explained: “The church used to sit at the heart of the community, but with the growth of the town it now sits on the outskirts of Billingham.”
In recent years, rising costs and a falling attendance, has put the Grade I listed church at risk of permanent closure.
While not a religious man himself, Ken, who is best known for his part in British folk band, The Wilson Family, has taken a lead with Friends of St Cuthbert’s Church, in their efforts, alongside Rector of the Parish, Rev David Brooke, to keep the building open, along with a bold restoration plan.
He said: “As the oldest building in our area, it would be criminal to let it close.”
With a line-up of folk concerts already planned for the church, hosting the summer art exhibition seemed a great next step for getting the community through the doors.
For art and design students completing their studies at Bede Sixth Form College and Northfield School, it offers the chance to show their work to a much wider audience.
Bede’s art teacher Suzy Wandless said: “Seeing their work exhibited publicly is an invaluable experience for our A level students. It offers them a platform to share their personal narratives and perspectives with a wider audience.
“This collection, titled Visions of Reflection and Connection, shows the exceptional artwork of our students over the past two years. It is testament to the high quality and creativity they have dedicated to their art.
“This exhibition will also provide a unique opportunity for our students to engage with the community, receive feedback, and witness the impact firsthand of their art on viewers.”
Sam Beasley, head of art at Northfield School, said: “We are always enthusiastic about ways that allow our pupils to exhibit work and so we were keen to see what was possible with the exhibition at St Cuthbert’s Church.
“The result is an exhibition of large-scale charcoal studies on expressive colour acrylic washes, based on natural forms.
“Our work has been produced by our Year 10 and 11 pupils as part of their GCSE coursework. We are exhibiting work from pupils with a wide range of artistic ability, but all have worked with commitment and focus.
“It will be very exciting to see work both from Northfield and Bede being displayed at the same location, creating connections in the local community, and hopefully allowing St Cuthbert’s to become a hub for exciting and innovative projects for the Billingham community.”
Open to all, the summer art exhibition, featuring artwork from Bede Sixth Form College and Northfield School students will take place at St Cuthbert’s Church, Church Road, Billingham, on Wednesday 3rd July, from 5pm-8pm.
Thanks go to Billingham Parish, Preston Hall Museum and Stockton Borough Council for their assistance and support for this event.
