The Association Of Ringing Teachers (ART) is the organisation endorsed by the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers to provide training and support to teachers and new bellringers.
Each year, ART organises the ART Awards and the winners were announced in late April. These Awards recognise people and groups who are leading best practice and innovation in the teaching and development of ringing. This year, ART awarded the ‘Band of the Year’ Award to Carlisle Cathedral Ringers. This award is for bands focused on improving ringing standards and developing the sustainability of ringing and this builds on previous successes back in 2018, when the band won the ART Award for Innovation in the effective Use of Technology in Teaching; in 2019, when Barry Garrett won the Westley Award for Church Bell Maintenance and last year when recently retired Tower Captain, Ron East was awarded the BEM for services to church bellringing.
The Cathedral Band now has thirty-three ringers (up from sixteen back in 2014) and succeeded in ringing all twelve bells for every Sunday morning service in 2024. We now have seven ringers who are qualified to teach ringing and who can lead the regular ringing practices and twelve of the band have improved and achieved a better ART qualification during this past year.
Cathedral ringers also support towers at nearby churches and, led by John Proudfoot, have successfully recruited and trained several ringers at a previously silent tower at St. Martin’s, Brampton.
The Cathedral ringers are delighted that their achievements and efforts have been acknowledged by ART and wish to thank Canon Benjamin and other members of the Cathedral staff for their support and encouragement.
