Art project to remember loved ones lost to Covid launched today

A series of community engagement sessions start today as a new arts project is launched to recognise the impact of the Covid pandemic on local communities in South Tyneside.

South Tyneside Council is working with The Cultural Spring on the initiative that encourages members of the public to talk about their own experiences of recent years in a series of consultation sessions taking place over the coming weeks.

One element of the project is developing inscriptions for six new Covid memorials that the Council is planning to install in towns and villages across the borough.

The aim of the project is to create a meaningful and lasting memorial to loved ones lost to the coronavirus pandemic, to commemorate their lives and to provide a special place and focal point for families and friends to reflect and remember.

The project launch is a coffee morning starting at 10am today (Tuesday September 6) at the Big Local Base in Grange Road, Jarrow, with the next sessions at 1pm today at Barnes Institute, East St, Whitburn, and at 5pm today at Ocean Road Community Association.

The community engagement sessions continue at a variety of venues until October 3 (see list below).

Emma Horsman, Project Director at The Cultural Spring, said: “At the sessions we’ll discuss how communities and neighbourhoods could commemorate what has happened during the last two and a half years.

“The sessions will be led sensitively, respectfully and tactfully as we’re well aware how traumatic the pandemic has been for so many people. We hope as many people as possible will come along to share their experiences and add their voices to how we remember what happened and commemorate those we’ve sadly lost through Covid.

“Each of the memorials will have its own inscription, we’d like to discuss developing wording for each one, but we’ll also like to talk about how else communities would like to recognise what’s happened. This might involve discussing what artforms could be used for the project – dance, drama, singing or visual arts.

“As part of these discussions we’ll show examples of what other areas have done to artistically to mark the impact of Covid and we’ll start off by asking such questions as ‘what were the challenges you faced?’ and ‘what does the new normal look like as a result of the pandemic?’”

The community engagement sessions are being led by experienced artist Lesley Wood.

Tuesday, September 6