New nativity set commissioned
New nativity set commissioned for St Mary Redcliffe
Local landmark and historic church, St Mary Redcliffe, has commissioned a new nativity set fit for 21st century Bristol. Every Christmas, a nativity scene is set up in the church so visitors and worshippers can see the Christmas story. The church wanted a new nativity set that reflects key Christian messages for today, so put a call out to local artists and craftspeople for proposals.
The chosen design is by Tony Hitchcock, a Bristol and Bath based prop and modelmaker, artist and illustrator. The church is keen for the diversity of Bristol to be reflected in the new nativity set, which will come across in the different colours of the materials - reclaimed wood and Bath stone. These also reflect the church’s desire for an environmentally friendly set of characters.
This commission has been made possible by a grant from St Mary Redcliffe Church Lands Charity.
Comments from Rev’d Kat Campion-Spall, the Associate Vicar at St Mary Redcliffe who is overseeing this project:
“We loved how Tony’s design uses a mixture of natural materials that reflect both what we see around us in the church, and the beauty of God’s creation. The use of reclaimed wood and stone reminds us of how in the Christmas story, God used Mary, just an ordinary young woman, for something really special. We want everyone who sees the figures to find something to connect with personally, and Tony’s use of different materials and woods will mean that our nativity characters have lots of different shades and tones to them, which is perfect. We’re really grateful for this grant which gives us this fantastic opportunity not only to have a new nativity set in the church but also to support the local creative community in these challenging times.”
Comments from Tony Hitchcock:
“I feel genuinely honoured to have been chosen to carve these figures for St Mary’s Church, a building which is a breathtakingly beautiful piece of sculpture in its own right. It’s rare that I get a chance to express my faith through my work, and I feel privileged to have been given the opportunity to do so now.”
Photo: Rev Kat Campion-Spall and Tony Hitchcock in front of the altar where the nativity set will be displayed
