New artwork which aims to reflect Sheffield's "rich history and vibrant mix of cultures" goes on display on city streets
and live on Freeview channel 276
Jack Arts worked with photographer, multi-media artist and writer Martin Gray who invited Sheffield poet laureate Warda Yassin to contribute, to create the artwork.
The result is a series of large-scale artworks that intertwine stills and quotes taken from Martin’s critically acclaimed short film ‘We Were Never Derelict’ which explores stories from people in the construction team who grew up in and around Sheffield, then found themselves working on the renovation of Park Hill, as well as stories from current residents.
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Hide AdThe imagery pairs Gray’s work with archival photography, including some from one of the great Sheffield photographers, Pete Hill.
Martin Gray said: “These artworks are a tribute to great cities like Sheffield. As we emerge from lockdowns and the world outside our doorstep once more becomes somewhere to share, I don't think many of us take the importance of community for granted.
"People of all ages, backgrounds and walks of life have been through this very frightening period of our history together, quietly seeing each other through. We know we are more fortunate than so many around the world, as we finally and cautiously walk into the light again and enjoy the diversity that makes a city like Sheffield so vibrant. There is something very powerful about places with personal and cultural significance.
"Somewhere that the ghosts of the past sit alongside new experiences.”
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Hide AdThroughout the display are extracts from the poem ‘Sheffield’ by Warda.
She said: “I’m delighted to be involved with these artworks. The wonderful quotes and imagery encapsulate the spirit of our city.”
A spokesperson for Jack Arts’ said the bold modernist graphics, present in the display, symbolise “renewed hope, as well as mirroring the coloured panels of the regenerated Park Hill redevelopment.”
The pieces are on display across Sheffield in a large scale street-side gallery format, on Jack Arts’ city centre sites, with the hope they will be enjoyed by a wider audience in a safe and distanced way as lockdown restrictions are eased.
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