Reconciliation Reredos

Saint Stephen’s stone reredos (above) is due to be restored in late 2010, with thanks to the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The church’s artist-in-residence, Graeme Evelyn, is creating a series of permanent relief panels to be installed behind the altar.

The four painted panels reflect Bristol’s history of trans-Atlantic trade.

As Bristol’s ancient harbour church, Saint Stephen’s blessed the ships that sailed. Akin to South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation commission, the panels reflect the City of Bristol’s historic and cultural legacies. – hence its name Reconciliation Reredos.

How Reconciliation Reredos came about

Bristol’s bicentennial in 2007 of the abolishment of slavery exposed a struggle to recall, remember and reconcile.

Saint Stephen’s responded to this legacy of tensions and wounds with creative solutions inspired by Christian spirituality.

Saint Stephen’s commissioned Graeme Evelyn, one of the founding members of Jamaica Street Artists, to create the Reconciliation Reredos.

Embedded in the conserved Victorian stonework of Saint Stephen’s church, the series of four permanent carved painted relief panels are in the tradition of altarpiece narratives.

The Reconciliation Reredos public art project includes a series of Community Learning Events focused on the legacy of the trans-Atlantic trade including stories of merchants and sea captains trading in sugar and cacao, tobacco and cotton, alongside human stories from the African-Caribbean diaspora illuminating the spirit of The Long Song, Andrea Levy’s latest novel.

Community Learning Events

The Reconciliation Reredos public art project includes Community Learning Events focusing on the legacy of the trans-Atlantic trade.

We are offering workshops for adults, young people and families including drawing and gospel singing at Easter, drawing in April and May, stone carving in the summer and storytelling and creative writing in the autumn.

Heritage Lottery and Bristol Legacy Commission are respectively funding the Reconciliation Reredos and the Community learning events.