I’m delighted to say my two weekly groups are now affiliated to the Calligraphy and Lettering Arts Society (CLAS). I have been a member of CLAS for some time and read in this year’s AGM agenda that the organisation was changing the way it runs its affiliated groups. The changes include removing the geographical context of groups and adding special interest groups and micro groups of up to 12 members. Members of my Thursday (left) and Friday (right) calligraphy groups. CLAS extends range of affiliated groups In her report to the AGM, Barbara Alldred, regional affiliated group officer, said “a f ..read more

Calligraphy and creative wellbeing sessions will form part of my 10th birthday celebrations thanks to funding from Arts Council England. I’m delighted to say I’ve been successful in applying for a second Project Grant from Arts Council England, following Inspired by Lindisfarne in 2022. Calligraphy and Creative Wellbeing will benefit both my weekly groups and a number of organisations in South Tyneside and Sunderland who work to promote positive mental health and wellbeing through art and creativity. People have long commented on how relaxing and mindful they find calligraphy during my worksho ..read more

It’s an exciting time for culture and the arts in South Tyneside. After years of watching Newcastle, North Tyneside and Sunderland benefit from all sorts of investment, it finally feels like our turn! The South Tyneside Cultural Partnership (STCP) was established in 2021 and launched its Making Waves cultural strategy in 2022. It has now secured a £312,899 Place Partnership Fund grant from Arts Council England (ACE), supported by the National Lottery, to support and strengthen culture and creativity in the borough. Representatives of South Tyneside Cultural PartnershipBuilding links with local ..read more

I’ve lent my calligraphy skills to special projects with two fellow artists recently. The first was for paper artist Yvette Ja, with whom I’ve collaborated before as part of the Inspired by Lindisfarne project. Yvette runs online workshops and for the launch of her autumn makes, she needed some recipe cards written out for a photoshoot. I used Dr PH Martin’s Pen White to add the ingredients and method to the pre-printed kraft cards for two recipes and several tabs for the recipe box images. The recipe cards written for Yvette Ja, with one of the photoshoot images in the centre. The second was ..read more

Durham University has delved into its vast archives to showcase a collection of rare and early printed books and historic documents. Penned and Printed, at Palace Green Library in Durham, features items from the shelves and strongrooms that stretch for miles beneath the city. In three rotating themes, the exhibition brings together the spectacular and the humble, the local and the national – and ideas that would change the world. The current themes explore medical progress (From Magic to Medicine), crime and punishment (From Retribution to Reform) and the journey to women’s suffrage (From Sup ..read more

So many nibs, so little time! I managed to squeeze in a quick visit to The Pen Museum on a recent trip to Birmingham – something that’s been on my to-do list for quite a long time. The museum is housed in a former gold pen factory in the city’s famous Jewellery Quarter and is run by a team of dedicated volunteers. It tells the story of the pen making industry and how Birmingham came to be responsible for the production of a whopping 75 per cent of the world’s pens during the 19th century. The Pen Museum exterior, a nib that’s bigger than me and the Brian Jones Room.The history of pen making in ..read more

A calligraphy project inspired by the Lindisfarne Gospels has drawn to a close. It’s been a year since the historic manuscript first went on display at the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle, on loan from the British Library in London. To mark the occasion, I applied for a Project Grant from Arts Council England so my weekly calligraphy groups could create work inspired by the Gospels. The Lindisfarne Gospels Introduction Board The Gospels has long been acclaimed as the most spectacular manuscript to survive from Anglo-Saxon England and it represents an outstanding artistic achievement. They were ..read more

I was very sad to hear that The Society of Northumbrian Scribes is putting pen to paper for the final time. The organisation, which was created to promote calligraphy and to help its members enjoy it and develop their own skills, will cease to exist at the end of the year. In a post to the group on Facebook, vice-chair Jean Carter said the decision to dissolve the group was made at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in June. It follows the demise of another Calligraphy and Lettering Arts Society (CLAS) regional affiliated group, Oxford Scribes, in February this year. Having existed for almost 40 ..read more

Calligraphy enthusiasts in the north east are so fortunate to have the archive of the International Research Centre for Calligraphy (IRCC) on their doorstep. It was brought to the University of Sunderland by Dr Manny Ling, who established the IRCC in 1999 alongside Professor Ewan Clayton and the Reverend Robert Cooper. Dr Manny Ling and some examples of his work in the Beyond Words catalogue. The aim of the IRCC was to promote calligraphy both nationally and internationally, with various symposia, exhibitions, publications and PhD research relating to calligraphy. Its first exhibition was Beyo ..read more

King Charles III looks set to combine tradition within modernity when he is crowned alongside Camilla, the Queen Consort, on Saturday, May 6, 2023. As President of the Heritage Crafts Association during his time as the Prince of Wales, it’s perhaps unsurprising that master craftspeople have been called upon for various projects in the early days of his reign and in the run-up to the Coronation celebrations. Here’s how calligraphy and associated elements have been playing their part. His Majesty the King’s Cypher The cypher is the Sovereign’s monogram, consisting of the initials of the monarch ..read more