I wanted to introduce myself as the new Director of Shieldfield Art Works (SAW). I have been working as Programme Manager for almost four years and am now stepping up to take on this new responsibility. I am so grateful for all the support you have shown me personally and SAW as an organisation over the past 4 years and I am looking forward to working with and alongside you as we continue to develop and grow our work. I am also thankful for our previous Director Alison Merritt Smith, who nurtured SAW into what we are today.
It is an honour to continue working to understand how the spheres of art, theological reflection and community activism can speak, interact and learn from each other. Doing this within such vibrant and compassionate communities in and around SAW is even more of a joy. I am also proud to work with such a committed, caring and capable team and I am confident in our ability to continue to grow and flourish our work – as we seek to live out hospitality, use art as a tool for enquiry, care for our communities and uphold rest and rhythm. This is all rooted in our faith in a God who cares deeply for these things and all those we work with.
In this global time of change, transition and uncertainty I thank God for his unmoving steadfastness and how graciously he has provided for us creatively, spiritually and financially at SAW. I also thank you for your support to us – whether that is in prayers, messages, words or monetary. I ask and hope that you will continue to support our work. Although I know many of you who are connected to SAW, I have not met everybody. So if you would like to meet or catch up by video chat now (and hopefully in person soon) then please drop me an email.
An update on our finances
We are so thankful to God that in a time of struggle and financial squeeze, individual giving to SAW has increased and God has provided in incredibly generous ways, through individuals, small grants and bigger funders.
We are expanding our partnership with a funding charity who share SAW’s values, on a number of projects. We believe that this funding, as well as smaller grants and gifts from individuals, will enable us to continue SAW’s work at part capacity until Spring 2022. We thank all of the individuals who have already become part of our support team.
We still need to raise around 22K to reach full capacity for the next financial year (April 2021-2022) and so we ask you to become part of our support family by becoming a monthly giver. This will help us to work towards our goal of long-term financial stability so that we can sustain the work we see such a great need for. If you would like to become a monthly giver then please visit our website here. We look forward to welcoming you into our team of supporters.
Love from Lydia