Sound and Art @ St Swithun's (SASS)

Our vision for St Swithun’s is to build on its existing role as a unique community asset and create an inspirational sensory space that will creatively demonstrate the potential of SASS to engage, enthuse and inspire a greater connection with heritage and history. This can be achieved by creating SASS which will:

• Repair and conserve a nationally significant building

• Interpret significant heritage in a new, exciting and accessible ways using fresh mediums – sound, light, smell and touch

• Work with recognised innovators in sound and art education to pilot a cutting-edge programme of learning and engagement

• Attract new audiences to SASS through a sensory-based approach to learning and engagement;

• Support sound and art students in education

• Provide high-quality facilities and installations to support immersive experiences, creating a distinctive and attractive venue and community resource

• Support and collaborate with emerging talent, giving new artists a creative space to trial out new arts and enterprises and showcase work

• Establish a new player in the cities cultural offer

• Provide three training apprenticeships in traditional craft skills and business administration to students and job seekers

• Operate a mentoring programme and talent development hub focused on fostering and nurturing new artistic talent in Worcester, providing a space to showcase and a network of contacts to grow skills and profile

• Provide work experience placements in support of Hewell Granges resettlement to work programme a two-stage rehabilitation programme for offenders and ex-offenders.

This project will help:

• Secure the future of the building for the next 300 years

• Provide a legacy of craft skill practitioners

• Inspire other projects to adopt new innovative sensory ways to increase engagement and inspire

• Grow local artistic talent

• Strengthen local partnerships with cultural arts organisations in Worcester

• Support tourism growth by providing a new destination point for visitors

• Demonstrate the benefits of offender rehabilitation

• Provide meaningful and positive engagement opportunities with heritage and history to disability groups.

Timetable for Project Development

• August 2018 - church closes for conservation and construction work

• Autumn 2019 – completion of construction work

• October 2019 – site launch