CHURCHES are being asked to sum up their place in their communities through art, in a competition organised by the insurers Ecclesiastical. The winning parish will receive £10,000.
The insurer’s annual church contest this year is focused on art. Each entry to the awards must consist of an A3-sized artwork that celebrates how that church contributes to its community.
All the entries will then be stitched together around a centrepiece by the Christian artist Tim Steward, to create a ten-metre by three-metre mural, which will be taken on tour to churches and cathedrals around Britain.
Ecclesiastical says that this will become the biggest ever community-made piece of art in the UK.
The winning church will not only have its artwork added to the centre of the mural: it will also win £10,000. Four runners-up will each be awarded £2500.
”I’m really excited about the role of art within the Church in bringing people together and having fun; but also, on a grander scale, this project embodies a real sense of ‘Let’s show what the dynamism of the Church looks like,’” Mr Steward said.
The church operations director at Ecclesiastical, Michael Angell, said: “We’ve been working with our church customers for 130 years, and have seen first-hand the extent to which local churches are supporting their communities. The Great Community Mural will be a celebration of the great work that is already happening, and is also designed to act as an inspiration to others.”
For more information about the competition, visit www.ecclesiastical.com/churchcomp.