About us
About us
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We offer a community studio & a diverse range of local art and crafts for sale in the heart of Hingham, we are kept open entirely by an amazing team of volunteers, both from the art community and local Hingham community.
We offer a community studio & a diverse range of local art and crafts for sale in the heart of Hingham, we are kept open entirely by an amazing team of volunteers, both from the art community and local Hingham community.
What is a Community Gallery?
'A community space for local artists to exhibit, sell, meet and share their skills'.
Creativity has long been shown to be good for wellbeing (e.g. see here), and our ability to create, and make beautiful things is an important part of what makes us human. The gallery was established to support local creativity and now supports over 100 artists from within a 10 mile radius, and provides over 60 workshops a year for small groups.
It showcases the best of local talent, while still being inclusive. It also hosts exhibitions for the local primary school and sells tickets for local events on behalf of local charities.
Commercial galleries cannot always give artists the money they deserve due to high running costs, sadly resulting in many artists giving up. A community gallery is different. It is run by the creative community for the creative community, allowing artists to sell directly to their customers 7 days a week, and through working together as a collective, only paying a small contribution towards overheads from sales.
Why Harrods of Hingham?
A shop was established in the building by the Harrod family in the late 19th Century, and it has been Harrods, or 'Harrods of Hingham' ever since. The name is seen as part of the local culture and heritage by locals and visitors alike, especially after the owner battled in court to keep the name in the 1980s, so we didn't want to change when we took it on in 2020. In fact, part of the reason for setting up the community gallery was to preserve the historic building, its name, and keep it open to the community as a shop.
What is a CIC?
A Community Interest Company is a business model that exists primarily for the benefit of the community but is more flexible than a charity, and allows the community to invest in shares. At least 65% of all profits must be re-invested into the community, with dividends only payable on the remaining 35%. It has Directors and shareholders, and many small CICs, like us, are run and staffed by entirely by volunteers. For more information see: www.gov.uk. Accounts are published online and are accessible to the public. You will soon also be able to view our annual reports here.
How was it established?
It was established by local artist and art enthusiast Emily Field in 2020.
Emily studied A level art and design, and studied art history as an undergraduate at what was then the School of World Art Studies and Museology, based at the Sainsbury Centre, University of East Anglia. Her career then took her in the direction of Environmental Earth Science, Conservation Project Management, Sustainability and eventually into teaching high school Geography, which she is still passionate about. However, her love of art never went away.
Having always been involved in community projects, she was inspired to set up the gallery with her local artist friends who had exhibited at the Bond Street Shop, and all the lovely people who enjoyed her history window displays during lockdown at the then empty Harrods of Hingham convenience store. She is inspired by motivating and empowering artists to share their creativity, and helping others.
Having exceeded all expectations, after Emily's initial direction, the gallery is now run entirely by volunteers from the local creative community, who contribute to all the daily running of the enterprise, ensuring it is sustainable and will continue to provide a creative hub for the future.
From the Archives (December 2020):
From the Archives (December 2020):
Our mission is to provide a creative hub for the community, showcasing the best of local talent, and offering fulfilling creative activities for all.
Our mission is to provide a creative hub for the community, showcasing the best of local talent, and offering fulfilling creative activities for all.
We are a Community Interest Company. At least two thirds of all profits will always be reinvested into the community to keep the town thriving and promote wellbeing through art.
We are a Community Interest Company. At least two thirds of all profits will always be reinvested into the community to keep the town thriving and promote wellbeing through art.
Emily & Scott Field (Directors): Enterprising teacher and firefighter couple Emily & Scott have loved Hingham and the arts since they moved here 20 years ago, supporting many community initiatives over the years. Scott is Watch Manager at Hingham Fire Station and Crew Manager at Thetford Fire Station, and Emily, after managing conservation projects for the RSPB for nearly a decade, now teaches Geography at a nearby High School. It was while on furlough during lockdown in July 2020 that Emily realised the potential for the building and took on the lease.
Local Artists and Crafters: The heart of the new look community gallery is of course the beautiful and inspiring handmade work by local artists and craftspeople, the quality of which has blown most people away! Johno Cornish was the first to add his touch to the shop, painting a beautiful hare on the front door using screwdrivers and gloss paint, and we are welcoming new artists to the team every day. Most of our artists and crafters live within 10 miles of Hingham, showing what a wealth of talent we have on our doorstep. We will be featuring some special people from further afield who have connections to the gallery as well.
Friends of Harrods of Hingham: Local people who want to see the shop thrive again, have been chipping in, and sharing their skills & expertise. Special thanks here go to Julian Evans and Bruce Maltby for their practical help with the renovation, Carmichael & Monger's for their donations of chairs and hardware, Zoe Arnold for advising on social media and accessibility, Fani for acting as company secretary & Sienna, Dawny, Estee, Liz, Robin & Kate, Alfred, Joan, Cristal, Steph, Graham, Vee, Jo, Mick, Lynn, Margaret, Chris, and everyone else who has chipped in or stopped to offer encouragement!
Michael Wynne Parker (Director): Shares the historic building with Harrods of Hingham, having returned to Norfolk in January 2020 to be closer to his daughters. He is Managing Director of Introcom International, an author and book collector, with an interest in the arts, and was the first investor in the project. He is excited to see Hingham become a centre for the arts, and will help the community interest company reach new audiences.
Paula Bidmead (Events Coordinator): Paula is a qualified teacher and artist specialising in pet portraits. She is based in the studio at Harrods of Hingham on Thursdays and Fridays, and will be in charge of the programme of workshops & classes (when we're allowed to run them!).
Hingham and Hardingham Art Group: Members of the art group have been busy volunteering to help renovate the gallery, and will be around most days helping to run the shop. They will also have their own permanent exhibition, showcasing new work each month, with Harrods of Hingham becoming their 'second home'. You may already have met Hilary, Alison, Mathew, Pat, Monica, Cate, Deborah & Derek when they've been looking after the shop area or popping new work up.
To join us and chip in, please see the 'contact us' tab or pop by on a weekend for a chat.
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