The Diocese of Lincoln, Churches Conversation Trust, artsNK and the University of Lincoln would like to invite artists to submit proposals for their ideas to be part of the forthcoming Altered project.

Altered aims to develop new partnerships and collaborations between artists and parish churches in Lincolnshire, challenging audiences to view ancient church buildings through the prism of contemporary art practice. Altered seeks to inspire Parochial Church Councils (PCC), teams of volunteers and all who are involved in the daily lives of churches in Lincolnshire to develop their own collaborations with artists, responding to structures, locations, hidden corners and re-telling the stories deep within the fabric of Lincolnshire Churches.

Altered has already established a partnership project between artist Gary Woods and a team of volunteers from the Churches Conversation Trust at South Somercotes, St Peter. Wood’s installation will be on display at the church over the weekend of 24-25 November 2012, 2pm-9pm. A second partnership between St Peter’s, Brickbeat and Rhubarb Theatre will come to fruition in May 2013. Altered is now seeking to establish two unique partnerships at the Diocesan church of Heckington, St Andrew. Working with the Revd Chris Harrington and the PCC artists will be required to produce new work that both engages with the church building and is compelling enough to draw an audience from across Lincolnshire and beyond. In accordance with our Arts Council England funding, priority will be given to those artists who work with digital media.

Artists’ Brief

The exhibitions will be open to the public across the two weekends of 3rd–5th and 10th–12th May 2013. Installation will take place during the week prior to the opening weekend and there will also be a private-view event organised for artists, PCCs and church volunteers from across the county. As part of the project, selected artists will be required to lead or participate in a related education programme with young people in Heckington.

Artists who are interested in submitting proposals for Altered should include three or four images from their current portfolio of work and a copy of their artist’s statement, along with their ideas and proposals. In addition, proposals should include an outline budget breakdown covering the artist’s labour, materials/resources and any travel costs incurred up to a maximum of £5,000. All proposals should be sent to Ben Stoker (Lincolnshire Open Churches Officer) by email: ben.stoker@lincoln.anglican.org or post: The Old Palace, Minster Yard, Lincoln, LN2 1PU by 31st January 2013. Interviews will take place in Heckington on 14 February 2013.

Artists who would like to view the church of St Andrew, Heckington, and speak to Altered project representatives, before submitting a proposal may attend an open day on 4 December (1pm-4pm). Members of the project commissioning group and PCC members will be happy to welcome artists to the church.

For a personal invitation to submit a proposal for Altered from Revd Chris Harrington, please click: https://vimeo.com/51745012. To learn more about the next phase of Altered, please click: https://vimeo.com/51745467

For further information about ‘Altered’ please contact:

Ben StokerLincolnshire Open Churches Officer

01522 50 40 49ben.stoker@lincoln.anglican.org

Edward King House, Minster YardLincoln, LN2 1PU

Chris HeightonUniversity of Lincoln

cheighton@lincoln.ac.uk

St Andrew’s, Church Street, Heckington, Lincolnshire, NG34 9RE

The Grade I listed cruciform church of Heckington, St Andrew is a masterwork of medieval imagination, craftsmanship and ambition. Largely built in the decorated style of the fourteenth-century, its exterior is adorned with grotesques and gargoyles, and topped with a remarkably sophisticated spire that extends to 185ft. Inside, the vast 164ft long space is lit through glorious stained glass; but often its details, like the innumerable and always enchanting medieval carvings, can slip in and out of focus. The exquisite Easter Sepulchre with its tomb-chest base, tomb recess containing a monument to Richard de Potesgrave, sedilia with its brilliant and sometimes comic genre scene carvings, and finely formed piscina are arguably among the finest in the country. St Andrew’s featured in the Channel 5 television series Divine Designs in 2007.

St Andrew’s Priest, Revd Chris Harrington, and Parochial Church Council (PCC) are determined to share the story of the church with as many people as possible. A church tourism group is being formed for this purpose, which will complement the church’s current activities, such as bell-ringing

Heckington

Heckington is one of the largest villages in Lincolnshire, comprising around 1500 households. It lies to the east of the market town of Sleaford in the North Kesteven district of the county. The village has many amenities including pubs, shops and a nearby school. Heritage Lincolnshire, an archaeological projects Trust, is based in the village; and the village’s Railway Museum is housed, quite appropriately, in its railway station. Along with the church, Heckington’s working nineteenth-century, eight-sailed windmill provides residents and visitors alike with a visual treat.