New stained glass window revealed at Tamworth Library

A new stained glass window designed by Tamworth school children together with a professional artist was unveiled during a Remembrance Day service at Tamworth Library.

The new 2ft by 4ft window has been placed in one of the recesses at the front of the Corporation Street building as part of the First World War 100th anniversary commemorations and will now act as a lasting legacy to those who lost their lives fighting for the country.

Mayor of Tamworth, Cllr Maureen Gant, did the honours by unveiling the window to an audience of around 50 people, including some of the children who helped design it.

Hundreds of primary school pupils from across the town learned the art of stained glass window making during a series of workshops this summer with artist Ester Naylor for the I Am Hero element of the 12-month I Am Tamworth initiative.

Youngsters explored the theme of ‘heroes’, taking inspiration from those who fought for freedom a century ago. After making their own miniature windows, pupils then put forward designs which Ester incorporated into the library window.

Ester said: “The finished window includes images from the dark past in the form of a headstone bearing a cross in army camouflage colours and a soldier’s hand offering hearts upwards towards a heart with wings, in a symbol of hope for future generations, surrounded by images of the iconic poppy.
Many of the children drew rivers, so I have included green and blue to represent the water of life. 
“It was fantastic working with the children, they were absolutely brilliant and they seemed delighted with the result.”

The window was revealed for the first time at the Remembrance Day service, with eager children from Two Gates Primary School and St Gabriel’s Primary School in attendance who laid wreaths under the window and showed their earlier prototypes.

As well as the grand unveiling, the event also included the screening of a short film based on WW1-themed poems and vignettes and an exhibition of artwork.

The 35-minute screening of “14” is a collection of poetry by Staffordshire’s 2013-14 Poet Laureate, Tom Wyre, brought to life in a combination of live action, archive footage and superb animation filmed by Emmy Award winners Junction 15. Tom introduced the screening by reading two of his poems.

A limited stock of complimentary books containing Tom’s poetry is available at Tamworth Library for anyone who would like a copy.

The Lost Generation exhibition is a collaboration of artwork between Midlands’ artist Andy Farr and schools across the country in a project designed to make the WW1 centenary relevant to young people of today. It is on display in the library until November 25.

Cllr Steve Claymore, Tamworth Borough Council’s Cabinet member for Economy, said: “The Remembrance Day event at Tamworth Library was a very fitting tribute to those who lost their lives fighting for our country. The window has turned out brilliantly and it’s great to see how the children’s designs have been used to create such an impressive end result.

“It will act as a permanent reminder of the sacrifices made for our freedom. We were also very lucky to have secured the thought provoking film and art exhibition for Remembrance Day and we all took a lot of inspiration from them.

“I Am Hero has been another great example of encouraging creativity as part of the overall I Am Tamworth initiative; this time by giving children the opportunity to work with a professional artist to create something that will be on display for all to see for years to come.”

Funded by Arts Council England, I Am Tamworth is Tamworth Borough Council’s most ambitious arts project to date. Led by the Arts & Events team, it is made up of several community schemes and initiatives designed to encourage people to explore their creative abilities and participate in the arts. More information is available at www.tamworthartsandevents.co.uk/project-archive.