Sheffield Cathedral – The Foundry

The Foundry opens this Friday and tells the story of how Sheffield has become known as the City of Steel and the people behind it.

It was founded on steel and the city grew around it and this summer Sheffield Cathedral will celebrate its heritage through a new contemporary exhibition, The Foundry.

At the centre of the exhibition is archive film footage from British Pathé, as the exhibition transports you back in time to the height of the city’s steel-making industry while showcasing how artists, craftspeople and sculptors use steel today to create thought-provoking and challenging pieces of work.

Reverend Canon Keith Farrow, Vice Dean and Canon Missioner of Sheffield Cathedral said:

“The Cathedral has stood here for hundreds of years and the City of Sheffield has grown around it. People working in the Sheffield steelworks will have worshipped here, been baptised here, got married here and been laid to rest here, so we are delighted to be able to host an exhibition like The Foundry, which reflects on the history of this great city and how the actions and lives of people in the past have shaped how we live our lives today.”

Artist Peter Walker is the director of the exhibition and he said:

“At the heart of The Foundry is a remarkable film showing historic Pathé footage of the steel industry in Sheffield. Around this there is an opportunity to explore how the city’s connection to the steel industry has inspired artists around the country over the past 50 years; sometimes playfully, sometimes intellectually, but always creatively to adapt and respond to the material and to explore different and diverse subjects.

“This is an exhibition for seeing something different, for connecting with the past and for cherishing the influence Sheffield’s legacy has, and continues to have, on the world around us.”

The Foundry is supported by Corrin Mellor, son of David Mellor, known as the ‘cutlery king’. Both born in Sheffield, Corrin is following in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps by working in the metal industry. Various pieces of silver which will be on display in cabinets outside 1554 Coffee Shop, inside the Cathedral, have been loaned by David Mellor Design for the duration of the exhibition.

The Foundry is a family-friendly exhibition with a quiz and drawing competition with the chance of winning family tickets to the Cathedral’s Christmas light show.

The Foundry runs from 16 July to 2 September. Entry is FREE, donations welcome. Sheffield Cathedral is open 9am – 5pm Monday to Saturday, 8am – 3pm on Sunday.

Images: Archive, Licensed