Welcome to Ruskin in Sheffield, an annual programme of events and activities to rediscover the legacy of John Ruskin in Sheffield.

 

John Ruskin was a renowned thinker, writer, artist and social reformer.  He founded the Guild of St George in 1871 to help make the world a better place to live in.

 

In 1875, Ruskin chose Walkley as the location for St George's Museum to house a remarkable collection of paintings, drawings, architectural casts, books and minerals.  Its purpose was to educate and inspire the metal-workers of Sheffield, whose skill he declared the best in the world.  The Ruskin Collection, owned and supported by the Guild of St George, is now housed at the Millennium Gallery.  

 

Ruskin in Sheffield has involved over 11,000 audiences, participants and many artists and craftspeople through its events and activities since 2014.

 

We have created events in Walkley, Totley, Rivelin Valley, Stannington, Meersbrook, Ecclesall Woods, at the Millennium Gallery, and around the city centre.  Another 30,000 people have seen displays in the Ruskin Collection created specially for Ruskin in Sheffield, currently featuring exhibits from this year's Big Draw in Walkley and Big Draw on the Manor.  We work closesly with many Companions of the Guild of St George, volunteers, community organisations and cultural organisations in Sheffield.

 

In 2019, there will be national and international celebrations to mark the bicentenary of Ruskin's birth.

In the lead up to the bicentenary, Ruskin in Sheffield will continue to create events for all ages across a wide range of communities to revitalise the Ruskin Collection as a source of beauty, inspiration and ideas to help make lives better for people in Sheffield today.

 

The Ruskin in Sheffield 2017 programme will focus on drawing, the skill that Ruskin believed helped people to see the world clearly, and care for it. Ways to get involved will be announced on the Opportunities page of this website.

 

We are grateful for a number of funding awards to date that have made Ruskin in Sheffield possible: Heritage Lottery Fund, Being Human Festival of Humanities, Arts Council England, Catalyst Festival of Creativity (Sheffield Hallam University) and Year of Making.