‘Young and old have come together over an ancient art form’
A Pioneer Priest in the Arts in the Church of England, Gill Sakakini, has unveiled her new project which has brought together young and old and opens to the public at the beginning of August in Wells Cathedral.
Her collaborative project has seen older people from The Lawrence Centre in Wells come together with students from St Cuthbert’s CofE Junior School, Wells, and Wells Cathedral School to produce ‘Jars of Joy’ in papier-mâché, acrylic paint and markers.
Speaking to Somerset’s Alive!, community artist Gill explained what the meaning is behind the project and how the collaboration came about.
Gill said that it was a “social engagement projecct” and it “celebrates the rich delight of intergenerational making.”
Adding detail to the project, Gill continued: “Old and young fused an ancient art form with a contemporary slant through creating myriad Greek urns.
“The piece is site-specific and responds to the surrounding stone floor, pillars, and stained glass in the retro-quire.
“The individually formed vessels speak of the variety and diversity of people; each pot acknowledging by its shape the wounds, knocks, fragility, and repairs which make people who they are becoming, with greater strength and beauty.”
Gill added: “The children learned about sharing what they made as each one relinquished their vase to be painted by members at the Lawrence Centre, before coming together to design and decorate.”
The Lawrence Centre in Wells is a community-centered charity providing day opportunities for older people, including those living with health issues and memory loss.
The centre provides an accessible, enjoyable, and dynamic environment for members to relax, socialise, participate in activities, and receive support.
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Speaking to Somerset’s Alive! about how the public will be able to interact with the art project, Gill explained: “In antiquity Greek vases were used for many purposes — storing oil, water, or ashes. You are invited to engage with this project by writing a message, prayer, thought, or poem onto a tissue paper square and posting it into the urn.
“These will be pasted on in overlapping layers to form a contemporary storied scheme.”
Somerset’s Alive! 
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