The IX Calligraphy Symposium at Sunderland University

Many of the International Exhibition of Calligraphy project participants were warmly invited to the University of Sunderland’s IX Calligraphy Symposium, which took place just 10 miles south of Newcastle and an hour by train from Edinburgh – in Sunderland – from the 24th to the 30th of July, 2011.

The Symposium is one of the activities held by The International Research Centre for Calligraphy at The University of Sunderland. The Centre was established in 2007 and grew out of a research initiative started by Dr Manny Ling in 1999.

The conference took place in an inspiring setting – alongside the River Wear and only a few yards from the VII century St. Peter’s Church, site of one of Europe’s finest scriptoriums. The workshops included: Calligraphy and Text: exploring the wider spectrum, Text and Collage, Calligraphy with Glass, and many others.

Thomas Ingmire, participant in the International Exhibition of Calligraphy, was Guest Director of Writing 2011 symposium. One-hour sessions held by David Annwn (a poet) and Thomas Ingmire every morning, offered a daily springboard for all the symposium participants. A variety of classes gave an opportunity to work with teachers approaching to express the text through subtly different kinds of artifacts: collages, books, glass, or anything at participants’ will. The event was aimed at gaining new insights and expanding the boundaries of participants’ creativity no matter what level they were at.

Georgia Angelopoulos, Bas Vlam, Andrea Wunderlich were also spotted at the event.

Glass Calligraphy Engraving

Lively discussion at the workshop (including Georgia Angelopoulos)

Thomas Ingmire’s master class

Source: The International Research Centre for Calligraphy

Photo: Yukimi Annand; The Society of Northumbrian Scribes