A Multimedia Exploration of the Story of Vulcan, Blending Film, Poetry, Sound, Music, Art and Science
Cradle of Fire is a multimedia exploration of the story of Vulcan, blending film, poetry, sound, music, art and science. Our project, which started in May 2024, is at the research and development phase and is supported using public funding by Arts Council England.
We hope that you will join us to help escalate our initiative to the next level, suggesting events, collaborations, creative endeavours and scientific exploration as well as sharing your experiences, be they in geology, steelmaking, mining, craft, storytelling, academia or your local community. We are open to all ideas that connect with our activities.
Cradle of Fire is a collaborative concept led by multi-media artist Diana Scarborough. She has teamed up with Australian musicologist and composer Kim Cunio, with whom she has worked on multiple other creations. They are joined by journalist and poet Carolyn Waudby.
The wider team includes artist and producer Mike Stubbs, creative communications consultant Emma Boden, Will Hill, a typography specialist and graphic designer, and soprano Heather Lee. Others are expected to join the core team as the project progresses and that could be you!
Key partners include Kelham Island and Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet museums, Sheffield, and The Land of Iron Museum, Cleveland UK, whose collections of industrial tools and archive material will be featured.
Take a look at our Timeline to view the project’s progression.
Vulcan stone carving, Green Lane, Sheffield, © Cradle of Fire
The concept for the Cradle of Fire project arose from Carolyn’s curiosity over representations of Roman god Vulcan on buildings around Sheffield. The icons date from the mid 19th century and the city’s world-famous steel industry. A chance meeting with Carolyn sparked Diana’s initial interest, and thus the project was born.
We welcome contributions, new collaborators, communities and comments, so please feel free to get in touch, in response to some of our blogs, or with other suggestions. Please highlight your area of interest and query via the contact form.
Film and audio content is being added to our YouTube channel – subscriptions are welcome, as are followers and connections on our social media profiles – see direct links elsewhere on this page.
Thanks for your visit!
Cradle of Fire Word Cloud Video Still 2024-07-16
We’d love to hear from you as we develop the Cradle of Fire project. Please use the contact page to get in touch.
Cradle of Fire is a research and development project, supported by public funds from Arts Council England. We are also grateful for support from our partners and creative collaborators. Read more on the dedicated About pages.
Check our progress to date and future plans via the timeline