In January this year the Mayor of Erewash opened the new Community Arts Centre : Ilkeston Contemporary Arts , better known as ILKON .
It is housed in a beautifully repaired , restored and repurposed 1936 Methodist Church . ILKON is managed by an artistin-residence who engages with the local community to organise a series of events , exhibitions , performances and talks throughout the year .
ILKON is not a made-up word . It is Old English meaning “ each one or everyone ” and was used by Chaucer in his “ Second Nun ’ s Tale ” about the life of Saint Cecilia who coincidentally is depicted in one of the Church ’ s magnificent stained glass windows .
The craftsmanship and fabric of the Church has been respected and enhanced with additional insulation in the roofspace which combined with solar panels and a heat pump has reduced carbon emissions by 75 % and a model for sensitive sustainability .
Ilkeston station is on the Nottingham to Sheffield / Leeds line connecting ILKON to a large catchment of university towns . ILKON has a programme designed for “ each one or everyone ”. ILKON ’ s first Short Film Festival was a great success . The winning entry by local filmmaker Jordan Leeming was an emotional story about male depression .
The best documentary by Callum Roome was a series of moving accounts entitled “ Public Displays of Affection ” in the LGBTQIA Community . School groups use the space as an extension of their classroom activities whilst music , theatre groups , flower arranging , poetry groups ensure the space is always active . The aim is to cater for all whilst demonstrating the importance of creative contemporary art .
A major exhibition in 2024 is on the subject of INDUSTRY . Ilkeston ’ s motto is Labor Omnia Vincit ( Work Conquers All ) but most of the traditional industries have gone . The exhibition includes evocative images of the coal mines , the steelworks , the Raleigh bike
HEART OF ILKESTON
Architect Chris Williamson has transformed a derelict church into a vibrant community arts centre in his home town in Derbyshire .
Above : St Cecilia , featured in one of the many beautiful stained glass windows . Left : Gallery interiors . Right : ILKON ’ s exterior with its 2m diameter mirror ball suspended high in the bell tower acts as a Gatsby-esque green beacon throughout the town .
ILKON has formed strong links with local universities and is championing the amazing emerging talent in the East Midlands . The current artist-in-residence is a recent graduate of DeMontfort University and some of her work and those of her colleagues is on show at ILKON and will also be exhibited at the Manchester Art Fair in November .
Undergraduates on Fine Art Courses throughout the East Midlands use the gallery for curating and exhibiting and Architecture students are working with ILKON and the local Council , studying ways to improve the urban environment and are looking at the possibilities for a Sculpture Trail from the nearby station to the town . factory and the laceworks , whilst looking forward to the new jobs which are replacing those now moved elsewhere or no longer viable . With the inevitable rise of AI ( the subject of another later exhibition ) ILKON demonstrates that we will need creativity and imagination to stay one step ahead of technology and other disrupters . The presence of an artist-in-residence allows the community to engage with creating and inventing .
ILKON has won a number of National and International Awards for Architecture , Renovation , Interior Design and Brand Identity but more importantly has received numerous compliments and repeat visits from an engaged community with many ideas and suggestions which will see the venture thrive as an important part of creativity in the East Midlands .
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