Kettering Community Leaves its Mark on Library Roof Restoration

As the renovation of Kettering Library and Alfred East Gallery continues, the people of Kettering embraced the once-in-a-lifetime chance to leave their mark on the new roof and become part of the town’s history.

As the first Collyweston slates are being installed onto the Grade II library roof, a small number of tiles were made available to the community to get involved in the restoration project.

On Saturday 6 December, the library hosted a ‘Tag-a-Tile’ event where families and individuals were given the unique opportunity to decorate 121 tiles – one for each year since the library first opened. The finished tiles will be installed on the library’s roof and become part of the town’s heritage.

Kettering Community Leaves its Mark

When installed high above Sheep Street, the tiles will be laid face down to preserve the building’s heritage. Even though each artwork will be hidden from view, the tiles are numbered and recorded so that everyone involved will be able to point to which tile is theirs when roof works are complete.

Each tile will also be photographed before installation to form part of a future exhibition in Alfred East Gallery. Visitors to the gallery will have the chance to see the art and messages painted and drawn onto the tiles.

There were a variety of subjects chosen during the Tag-a-Tile event; some people chose to paint their pets, others chose to depict their family tree. There were also poems written to lost loved ones, messages of support for Kettering Library, and even a portrait of Sir Alfred East.

Kirstie Stevens, Kettering Library Manager, said: “The Tag-a-Tile project was a fantastic success, showcasing brilliant partnership working across local services. It was inspiring to see the community’s support for Kettering Library, and I’m excited for our reopening so we can continue delivering the best service to our community.”

Show of Support

The event was organised and operated by the team from Alfred East Gallery and Manor House Museum.

Alongside members of the public, some tiles were also decorated by Kettering Library partners and stakeholders. These included: Friends of Kettering Art Gallery and Museum, Friends of Kettering Library, Kettering & District Art Society, Kettering Civic Society, Zan Art, and Northants & Rutland Open Studios.

Billie Stevenson, Alfred East Gallery Manager, commented: “It was overwhelming to see so much positivity from the community. This was a brilliant and exciting project to work on, and really brought together the people of Kettering in a wonderful show of support for our services.”

>> Read more about the Kettering Library roof restoration in the news