The Casting of a New Bell

You are cordially invited to donate gold rings and jewelry for…The Casting of a New Bell - A World Event! England’s Freeman College is creating a New Bell based on Frank Chester's Chestahedron.

 

Designer - Frank Chester

 

The Traditional Casting of the Freeman College Bell

Friday June 11, 2010 / Bell casting 3-4pm

Freemon College, Sheffield, England

 

Chestahedron—Frank Chester

 

"The Stars once spoke to Man" and the harmony of the spheres was gifted to Humanity.

 

Now Man has the capability to give back. The design of the bell, based on the geometry of the human heart, makes it possible for Man to speak directly to the Stars. The etherized tone will sound in the heavens as a gift from Humanity!

 

You have a role to play in this event ..... a small contribution from many people will bring about the "sweetest tone" ever heard. Please send a piece of old gold or silver directly to the address below in order for it to be included in the casting of this bell. 

 

Recognizing the bell's connection to the heart and the heart's future development (the fifth chamber indicated by Dr. Steiner), this first casting on the earth of the "heart bell" presents the opportunity for men and women to transform old heart relationships by contributing gold rings of former marriages, no longer symbolic of what they once were, to the bronze alloy from which the bell will be cast. Any gold added to the bronze alloy will purify the quality of the tone that will resonate from the bell throughout time. By committing our old gold rings into the casting of a bell of the future, we may transform a former symbol (ring) into a pure "ring"ing of a bell of the future.

 

This bell form will be cast as a bell for the first time as part of an annual conference on "Spiritual Values in Higher Education" at Freeman College (http://www.rmet.co.uk/index.php/the_colleges/) in Sheffield, England on June 12, 2010. Freeman College is one of three colleges that are part of the Ruskin Mill Educational Trust (RMET) founded and directed by Aonghus Gordon for developing arts and crafts as a therapeutic context for young people with learning difficulties (www.rmet.org.uk). RMET draws inspiration from Rudolf Steiner's work. The new bell (that will weigh between 200 – 300 lbs) will be cast for the first time on June 12. This bell will be the artistic centerpiece of Freeman College.

 

 

GOLD DONATIONS

 

To contribute a ring or jewelry for this casting, send it to:

 

Address:    Freeman College

                  Attention: Carole Baugh

                  88 Arundel Street, SHEFFIELD, S1 2NG, U.K.

Email:        carole.baughfmc.rmet.orguk

 

 

Each contributor will receive formal acknowledgement of a personal thank-you note and a picture of the bell at Freeman College once it is cast on June 12.

 

Deadline for receipt of rings will be May 31, 2010

 

A video of the casting of the heart bell and a model showing its geometry will be part of a conference on the 100th anniversary of Rudolf Steiner's first reference to "Christ in the Etheric," to be held in December, 2010 at Rudolf Steiner College, Fair Oaks, Ca.

 

Bell Casting Ceremony

On June 11^th 2010, Freeman College will cast a new bell in Sheffield. Combining tradition and renewal, age old mould-making and foundry methods will be used to creat a new bell. This new bell will be cast from scrap copper from the college’s buildings, recovered during their renovation. Following Freeman College’s educational practice, students participate in all aspects of the bell project; helping to prepare reclaimed copper, refurish the old furnace, and prepare the mould.

 

About the Form

California sculptor Frank Chester discovered that by spinning a maquette of his unique seven-sided sculpture, a bell-shape form was created.  The outline and proportions of the Freeman College bell are taken from this spinning form.

 

How the Bell is made

Constructed by bell casters experienced in techniques both traditional and modern, students and staff will cast a bell for Freeman College, Sheffield. A mixture of 80% copper and 20% tin will be heated in a restored furnace. The molten Bell Metal alloy will then be poured into the sand and horse manure mould.  Those who choose can participate in the spectacle by adding tin ingots to the mix or bring pieces of unwanted gold and silver jewelry.  Folklore tells that gold added to the alloy sweetens the ring of the bell…

 

Traditionally bells were cast as a communal activity. To honour this tradition, Freeman College has sought the support and involvement of Sheffield’s local community.

 

With visits to local founders “Brass Founders Sheffield,” Freeman College maintains a student connection with Sheffield industry and the high quality standards associated with “made in Sheffield.” In-kind support plus fundraising and grants from Sheffield Trusts have made possible this unique opportunity for viewing an open-air bell casting.

 

About Freeman College

Freeman College provides a craft-based curriculum for young adults in the autistic spectrum and with developmental delays.  In 2005, Sheffield was chosen as the site for the new Freeman College because of the city’s strong industrial and craft tradition.  With hand-spoon forging, pewter, and copper spinning at the core of the curriculum, Freeman College continues to reflect Sheffield’s rich heritage in metal work. Maintaining an apprenticeship model, students develop skills practiced on the Sterling Works’ site for the past 200 years.

 

 

SPONSORS: Freeman College would like to thank its sponsors:

The Church Burgesses

The Graves Trust

The Sheffield Town Trust

Brass Founders Sheffield

Freeman College

Ruskin Mill Educational Trust