2013, Lincoln, UK
The European Stone Festival 2013, which took place from 21 to 23 June, was organized by the Lincoln Cathedral Works Department (England).138 participants from 14 countries came together on the East Green lawns, situated directly behind the choir of the Cathedral. They had two days in which to realize their ideas on the theme “Food and Farming” in stone. The apprentices, carvers and master masons obviously enjoyed working together in a relaxed atmosphere and were able to get to know colleagues from around the world and exchange professional ideas and experience. The festival was organised by a team from the Cathedral Works Department led by Carol Heidschuster, the Cathedral Works Manager, and Paul Atkin, the Foreman Mason.
The participants worked in either limestone from the local area or sandstone with each block measuring 20 x 30 x 40 cm. They interpreted the theme in its widest sense with pieces ranging from the pig’s head, the cock, the sower a farmer asleep in a wheelbarrow through to baskets of fish and harvest produce and sheep about to topple over a cliff edge. The anvil, a blacksmith’s hammer and horseshoes carved by a British first year apprentice was highly popular and went at auction for £ 2700. Taking into consideration that the participants had only 13 hours carving time, it was an admirable feat that they all completed their pieces.
Parallel to the stone festival, the City of Lincoln hosted the 1000 year celebrations for the crafts trades at Lincoln Castle where a wide variety of crafts and trades presented their individual craft skills. On the East Green, the visitors were presented with an insight into the work of the Cathedral Works Department with its workshops for stained glass carpentry, metal and, of course, the stone workshop.
The quality and originality of all the carved pieces was very impressive and therefore the task of the judges was not an easy one. The international jury included Carol Heidschuster, Cathedral Works Manager in Lincoln, Terje Skeldam, Trondheim, Norbert Stoffel, Strasbourg and Bernward Fiedler, Freiburg.
The winner of the Participant’s Award for his sheep motif was Richard Bossom who has displayed his talent at several stone festivals in the past. In the open class for qualified and master masons, Alex Wenham was awarded first prize for his impressive harvest pedestal followed by Richard Bossom and the Alsatian Nicholas Eberhart with his bull motif. In the apprenticeship category, Wim Hage from the Netherlands won first prize for his harvest horn of plenty followed by Bryan Proctor from Lincoln with a local pig’s head motif. Third place went to Jackie Blackman (England) for his boar motif. The winners received a voucher for tools of between £100 and £ 300 donated by G. Gibson & Co Ltd.
The participants spent a most enjoyable weekend at the festival with many of them having already taken part in the festival in previous years. It is a source of motivation in terms of the future of the stone carving and sculpting trade when so many young and motivated apprentices display a wide range of skills and a professional approach to their work.
The visitors took great interest in the festival and the work of the participants which resulted in a successful auction on the Sunday afternoon. What better advertisement could there be for the stone carving and sculpting trade The festival will be returning to Freiburg from 23 – 25 May 2014 where wood carvers will also have the opportunity to demonstrate their skills.
Thanks go to the Cathedral Works Department for their flawless organisation of yet another unique stone festival.