A stained-glass window designed by local school children to celebrate medieval Cornish history has been unveiled at Kresen Kernow.

Artist Melanie Young worked with 120 children on four large collage pieces inspired by the Cornish language play-scripts currently on display at Kresen Kernow as part of the exhibition Mes a’n Kemmyn/Out of the Ordinary.

Out of the Ordinary unites the four historic Cornish manuscripts - The Cornish Ordinalia and The Creation of the World (on loan from the Bodleian Libraries at the University of Oxford) and The Life of St Meriadoc, and The Life of St Kea (on loan from the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth) – under one roof for the first time in history.

During a series of workshops, the youngsters, from Kea Community Primary School, Mullion Community Primary School, Nansloe Academy and St Meriadoc CoE Junior Academy, heard stories from the manuscripts and researched medieval images and stained-glass artwork before getting to grips with inks and acrylics to create their own collages.

Melanie Young said: "I had an amazing time facilitating the creation of this window.

"I am so pleased with the results, it looks fantastic.

"I really hope that the children involved can visit and see it in place."

Duncan Ratcliffe, headteacher at Mullion Community Primary, said: "The children at Mullion loved working with Melanie, they were completely thrilled with the final piece.

"It was a great project to be involved with, combining visual art and local history."

The art project was part of a programme of activities hosted by Kresen Kernow this summer, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, to celebrate the Out of the Ordinary exhibition, including a symposium, free online talks, family learning, creative workshops, performances and Cornish conversation classes.

Written in Cornish to spread Christian teachings and stories, the manuscripts on display at the exhibition feature well-known Bible stories - including Noah’s flood and the Passion of Christ - as well as more obscure and forgotten tales, such as the life of St Meriadoc, Camborne’s patron saint. 

The Cornish Ordinalia, which dates from the 1400s, contains possibly Britain’s earliest full play scripts, pre-dating Shakespeare by 200 years.

It also contains what may be the world’s earliest stage diagrams and is one of the oldest complete texts in the Cornish language. 

Falmouth Packet: Artist Melanie Young worked with 120 children on four large collage pieces inspired by the Cornish language play-scripts currently on display at Kresen Kernow. Artist Melanie Young worked with 120 children on four large collage pieces inspired by the Cornish language play-scripts currently on display at Kresen Kernow.

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Chloe Phillips, Learning Lead for the Archives and Cornish Studies Service, said: "We are really keen to celebrate this momentous exhibition with a wide range of projects and activities and to welcome people back through our doors after lockdown.

"We are delighted with the window Melanie has created with the children, and think it makes a stunning addition to our library space."

Councillor Stephen Rushworth, Cornwall Council cabinet portfolio holder for economy, said: "The Kresen Kernow team have put together a varied programme of events around the exhibition, bringing these manuscripts to new audiences in a creative and engaging way.

"I hope anyone with an interest in early Cornish history and culture will take the opportunity to visit the exhibition before it closes towards the end of September."

The ‘stained glass’ window will be on display until January 2022, when the artwork will be returned to the schools.

This will make way for a new public art commission which will be situated in the same space.

"The public art commission, funded by Arts Council England, has been awarded to Abigail Reynolds, who is based at Porthmeor Studios in St Ives.

"Her multifaceted practice encompasses collage, photography, sculpture, printing, film, video, performance, and installation.

"For Kresen Kernow Abigail will create a permanent glass piece referencing medieval stained glass, bringing together images and associations from the Cornish manuscripts which are being loaned to Kresen Kernow in 2021.

The artwork will be unveiled on St Piran’s Day 2022.

Abigail said: "Medieval stories are always multivalent. Apocrypha and miracles are mixed up with the bible stories - all working on several levels of meaning.

"This plurality seems especially relevant now as we strive to incorporate every diverse voice into our culture.

"I’m fascinated to unpick some of the broad references to a landscape specifically Cornish in these remarkable surviving manuscripts.

"It’s a great privilege to be invited to make a work specifically for Kresen Kernow.

"I’m looking at ways the manuscripts currently on view Kresen Kernow link deeply to our contemporary moment in the same landscape."