Art project showcases village's rich heritage

Published by Kelly Elliott for Frank Haslam Milan in Housing and also in Communities

The history of a Gateshead village has been colourfully depicted through a series of mosaics, created during a community art project.

The eight panels each feature an element of Kibblesworth’s heritage – from coal mining to the village’s Millennium Centre.

They were created by members of the local community, including pupils from Kibblesworth Primary School, which is celebrating its 40^th anniversary in 2012 and where the finished mosaics have been put on display.

Work began back in October, during the annual Kibblesworth Festival, held to celebrate the village’s past and look forward to its future.

Since then, the school’s 124 pupils have been working hard to complete the project, with the help of parents and teachers and under the supervision of visual artist Josie Taggart, who helped them design the mosaics.

Head teacher Kevin Dodd said: “We wanted to take part in a project to celebrate the school’s anniversary – the staff came up with the initial idea and our extended services coordinator put us in touch with Josie who helped make it a reality.

“It has been great for the children as they have learnt all about Kibblesworth’s cultural heritage, and it has also brought the community together.

“The finished mosaics look brilliant and have been given pride of place in our school hall where they can be enjoyed by the community for years to come.”

The project has been supported by local community regeneration company Frank Haslam Milan (FHM) North East, which is currently constructing 148 new homes in Kibblesworth for Keelman Homes, a subsidiary of The Gateshead Housing Company.

The £14m development, which started in 2010, is replacing a rundown ‘Airey’ housing estate, built in the 1950s.

FHM donated the panels onto which the mosaics have been created, as well as fitting them onto the school’s hall wall.

Heather Miller, Lead Resident Liaison Officer for FHM, said: “We have built up strong links with the school since we began working in Kibblesworth.

“We always do what we can to support the communities in which we work and were really pleased to be able to contribute to this project.

“The children have done a wonderful job; the mosaics are eye-catching and colourful and really show off Kibblesworth’s history.”

The finished mosaic panels were unveiled by the Mayor of Gateshead, Cllr Joe Mitchinson, during a special assembly.