Inspired by the Lindisfarne Gospels

South Shields Museum & Art Gallery introduces a new exhibition, Inspired by the

Lindisfarne Gospels, created by a group of amateur calligraphers from South Shields.
The exhibition, Inspired by the Lindisfarne Gospels, has been created by a group of talented
amateur calligraphers, who are part of two groups who meet weekly at Mortimer
Community Centre in South Shields. The groups were given the opportunity to attend the
Lindisfarne Gospels exhibition at the Laing Art Gallery in September 2022, and then spent
several weeks creating individual responses to the exhibition, based on the question: What
do you take as Gospel?

The Lindisfarne Gospels, the most spectacular surviving manuscript from Anglo-Saxon
England, were written on Holy Island, Northumberland in the early eighth century and are
now part of the collection at the British Library.

The exhibition at South Shields Museum features calligraphy, illuminated lettering, Celtic
knotwork, handmade books, photographs and draft pieces, to demonstrate some of the
features of the Lindisfarne Gospels. The groups worked with two guest artists, Yvette Ja and
Carrie Dennison, who taught them traditional bookbinding and Celtic knotwork.
Angela Reed, leader of Creative Calligraphy, said: “The groups have thoroughly enjoyed
working with Yvette and Carrie and taking inspiration from their workshops, as well as the
manuscript itself. We hope the exhibition inspires other people to take up a creative pursuit
– you never know where it might lead!”

South Tyneside has been identified as a Priority Place by Arts Council England (ACE), whose
Let’s Create strategy aims to encourage the creativity of every individual in the country.
Nicholas Baumfield, senior relationship manager at Arts Council England, described the
exhibition as “a very genuine response to the Lindisfarne Gospels. ” Creative Calligraphy was
established by Angela Reed in May 2014, with the aim of teaching the art of calligraphy to
beginners, as well as those with more experience. In 2022 Angela received funding from the
National Lottery Project Grant awarded by Arts Council England, for a three-month long
project to mark the return of the Lindisfarne Gospels to the North East in Autumn 2022.
Angela said: “It has been a year since I first started looking into funding for a project that
would coincide with the return of The Lindisfarne Gospels to the region, so it’s extremely
rewarding to see the culmination of all our hard work.”

Geoff Woodward, Museum Manager, said: “Through the monastery at Jarrow the borough
played a significant role in the Anglo-Saxon golden age that produced the Lindisfarne
Gospels. We’re delighted to be able to host this exhibition that presents a response by a
very talented group of local people to this great artistic and cultural milestone.”

The exhibition opens to the public on Saturday 22 April and will be displayed at the museum
until 30 September 2023.