ILKON: Ilkeston Contemporary Arts, Ilkeston – ILKON. Ilkeston Contemporary Arts with Chris Williamson

A former Methodist church has been transformed to serve a vibrant but underfunded arts community in Ilkeston. The project has re-addressed the space and its surroundings, allowing the lawn to grow and planting new trees among several external sculptures. The building also includes an apartment for a resident artist.

Who is on the project team? 

Chris Williamson RIBA RTPI

Tom Keating - TKA - Structural Engineers

Jon Leach - Aecom - External Structures

Steve Webb - Webb Yates - Special Projects

Shane Elliott - Sylvania Lighting

Nick Constantine - iguzzini External Lighting

Mick Whittemore - MGD Group - Audio Visual Installation.

Describe the context of this project and its neighbourhood and people?

1 Ilkeston has suffered from a decline in manufacturing and skilled jobs leading to the Independent newspaper headline "Cracktown" which is unrecognisable to the thriving town I knew as a child. I had the most fantastic free education with wonderful inspirational teachers at Ilkeston Grammar School and have conceived, designed and funded this project to bring the creative arts to the community. This beautiful 1936 Church had been empty for 5 years and was badly in need of repair, care and attention. Its neighbours are a junior school and a care home and both have been enthusiastic supporters of its conversion to a lively and flexible venue to house performance, dance, film, sculpture music and fine arts. The surroundings are mixed- run down industrial buildings and a mix of poor quality terraced and social housing - but also well maintained detached homes. There is a vibrant but underfunded arts community. ILKON Provides a home and catalyst/

The resident artist is funded by ILKON and changes every six months to engage the community in a comprehensive programme of events curated in conjunction with local groups and schools to demystify the world of the arts- to encourage creative thought whilst educating and entertaining. The centre is a 10 minute walk from the train station which has a direct service to Nottingham to the south and Leeds, Wakefield and Sheffield to the north. The Universities in these towns including Loughborough and Leicester are engaged in the programme of events with relevant community groups.

Tell us what you did and how the project, event or installation enlivened the place in a creative way?

ILKON is not a made up name. It is an Old English word meaning "everyone" and was used by Chaucer in "The Second Nun’s Tale" about Saint Cecilia who is depicted in one of the beautiful stained glass windows to the North of the former church. It is an apt name for this inclusive flexible space which brings contemporary arts to all members of the community. 

Insulation was added without detriment to the wonderful fabric of the church. Together with green technologies of solar panels and an air source heat pump the energy consumption has been reduced by 75% and carbon emissions by 80%. The building’s original innovative natural ventilation system has been refurbished. State of the art display lighting and Audio Visual systems have been added to allow a multitude of uses. The building needed repairs to the fabric and the brickwork had been repointed badly.

The previous owners had sold the beautiful church organ which was a great pity but an opportunity to insert a compact well designed apartment into high quality two storey height space including the former vestry for the resident artist.

The Church Hall is converted into a high quality teaching space for local schools and community groups. It is now heated and secured separately from the main arts centre and therefore be curated independently. A permanent collection of contemporary art assembled over the last 40 years is displayed between the ambitious rolling program of events for the enjoyment of all members of the community.

How did you engage the community?

The Ilkeston motto is “Labor Omnia Vincit” “Work Conquers All” – this was immortalised in Alan Silletoe’s brilliant “Saturday Night, Sunday Morning” set locally. With the demise of much local industry ILKON’s aim is to encourage creative thought and new connections. If we are to compete with China, India and other economies we need to think differently. Response has been encouraging. The booking system on the website has been fully booked for several weeks. This can be viewed on www.ILKONarts.com In addition there have been many community group and schools using the venue. 

The Mayor officially opened the venue in January 2023 and the video can be viewed on you tube. The current exhibition documents the plight of Ukranian refugees with portraits by Alona Melnyk. In March this will be replaced by the ILKON permanent contemporary collection which consists mainly of young artists -concentrating on our relationship with religion, with celebrity and with each other. The display lighting designed in conjunction with Sylvania and the remote controlled blinds and a state of the art Audio Visual system allows fantastic flexibility which is being enthusiastically used by the local schools and other community groups for rehearsals, plays, music and performance. 

The Planning Department has been extremely helpful allowing an apartment to be inserted into the space for an resident artist and giving permission for several external sculptures by local and international artists. ILKON is now discussing with Erewash Borough Council a collaboration to develop a sculpture park elsewhere in the Borough.

Did the project make a positive social and environmental contribution?

An important part of the project is the external space. The previous owners removed 7 mature elm trees so ILKON planted 16 silver birch around the perimeter and a hedge of beach. The previous soft landscape was manicured lawn which has now been invited to grow wild and reinforced with native grasses and wild flowers, lavender and other native shrubs in flowing swathes which will look stunning when established whilst encouraging insects and providing a home for bees, butterflies and other pollinators. One of the first plantings were 5 apple trees opposite the junior school so that school children can pick the fruit next Autumn. There is no external soft landscaping at the school or the Care Centre opposite so providing some within our project is vital to create a sense of community. External seating for use by the café adjacent to the teaching area will provide an oasis in a dense urban environment.

An important part of the project is to educate and inform about sustainability and climate change. The south facing solar panels are directly opposite the school and shows how this new technology can be inserted carefully to coordinate with historic fabric. A new air source heat pump and additional insulation reduces energy consumption by 75%

The project invests in the local community inspiring, informing, educating and entertaining using contemporary arts as a creative force for change. It’s not the Tate, the Wallace or the Saatchi collection but will develop into something important to the East Midlands.