A Multimedia Exploration of the Story of Vulcan, Blending Film, Poetry, Sound, Music, Art and Science
The Cradle of Fire team is interested in engaging with steelmaking, blacksmithing, metalsmithing, knife and scissor making, and other crafts linked to the cities and locations in which we are working, notably Sheffield and Tees Valley initially. Key partners currently include Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet where several craftspeople have workshops that are open for demonstrations and educational purposes.
We are also engaging with communities from extractive industries, such as iron ore sites and works, from a heritage point of view. Please visit our Get Involved page for further information.
We welcome contact in other geographical areas, with crafts, industries and organisations that might connect to our core activities, as they evolve.
Our mythical hero, Vulcan, found fire at the heart of Mount Etna, deep inside the volcano, and there he set up a furnace, making use of the embers to spark...
27 November 2024
This engaging project draws on Sheila Thomas and her family’s memories of life in Sheffield, when steelmaking was a thriving industry in the city. Her narratives are illustrated by photographs...
5 November 2024
On my recent visit to Sheffield for Cradle of Fire meeting with art mentor Mike Stubbs and a potential new collaborator Jake Harries, I visited a new exhibition ‘Show your...
24 July 2024
Rusty detritus of the past found in Sheffield museums gives us hidden glimpses of bygone days with questions of how and when they were used or made. As part of the...
20 June 2024
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