STRIKING new artwork celebrating the heritage of Tameside has been unveiled at the borough’s Local Studies and Archives Centre.
Local volunteers collaborated with artist Christine Anderson on the piece, which was showcased to launch this year’s Heritage Month.
It draws on six months of research and creativity, with inspiration taken from scrapbooks, business cards, leaflets, handwritten documents and old photographs in the archives.
The finished artwork – now proudly displayed in the centre’s atrium – combines a stained-glass effect with quilted textures, representing the richness and character of Tameside’s nine towns.
Volunteers who helped shape the piece were the first to see it at a showcase event on Monday, September 8, where they were joined by the Civic Mayor of Tameside, Cllr Shibley Alam, who praised their efforts and the vision behind the work.
Speaking about the unveiling, Cllr Leanne Feeley, Executive Member for Lifelong Learning and Culture, said: “We are very excited for the showcase event to share the work of some of our amazing volunteers and the great artist, Christine Anderson. It’s a representation of some of the truly fantastic artwork within Tameside.
“It’s also a great way to launch Heritage Month 2025, by using archived work to create a new atrium in Local Studies, which we can’t wait to unveil! It’s amazing that some of Tameside’s volunteers had the opportunity to collaborate with an established artist, to create something so prominent and local to them.”
The project was funded by FLAG and officially launched Heritage Month 2025, which sees a series of events celebrating local history across the borough.
The artwork is open for public viewing at the Tameside Local Studies and Archives Centre, on Cotton Street East in Ashton-under-Lyne, during its opening hours.