The Dearne Community Arts’ Festival aims to champion creativity and celebrate community, and this week it managed to do both with the unveiling of the community mosaic in its new permanent home at Goldthorpe Library. The mosaic, started last summer at our church under the watchful design eye of artist Ruth Waterworth, involved 15 local organisations and 252 adults and it was great to have about 50 people at the official unveiling, led by Barnsley Bard Ian McMillan. Members of Dearne Kids, the local Brownies & Guides, Dearne Churches Together and Goldthorpe Library coffee morning, along with pupils of Goldthorpe Primary School and Sacred Heart Primary School and members of Barnsley Libraries and other local groups, came along to see Ian McMillan unveil the mosaic and enthuse about how this represents so much that is positive about our local community.

Looking through the photobooks of previous arts’ festivals:

Ian McMillan:

Artist and mosaic designer Ruth Waterworth:

More photos:

At this time when there is so much negativity about a small number of disruptive youths and the damage being caused locally, it is good to remind ourselves of the many positive things which happen locally and the very large number of people who work tirelessly, often in an entirely voluntary capacity, to make where we live a better place. If you’ve not yet seen it in person, you can view the mosaic at Goldthorpe Library on the first floor. It’s well worth a visit!