The exhibition The Power of Creativeness: Champernowne, Withymead, Jung at Sheffield University’s Western Library, which opened its doors in late January, had its formal launch on Monday 13 March. The exhibition was arranged to celebrate the foundation of the Champernowne Archive at the University, under the direction of Professor Brendan Stone.
The exhibition comprises accounts of the life and accomplishments of Irene Champernowne - photographs and documents from Withymead, original correspondence between Irene and Jung, and with other significant Jungians, her plans for the original Summer Course (which already held the pattern for the fifty + years that were to follow), recordings of Irene herself, and some of her artwork including the painting that Jung chose as the cover illustration for his book on flying saucers.
There are also references to the influence that Irene, Withymead, and those who worked there with her came to exercise on the development of arts-based therapies and Britain and more widely.
The Summer Course is represented by more artwork and an impressive collage of Yearbook covers among other items.
The formal opening – in fact quite informal - included brief words from Anna Clements, Director of Library Services and University Librarian, and Pam Stirling, Chair of the Champernowne Trust.
Feedback from those who attended has been positive:
And honestly – the exhibition is amazing!
Many, many congratulations on the wonderful exhibition- a fitting tribute to Irene Champernowne
Thank you..a great display and very well put together.
It was really good…to discover more about Champernowne herself, especially her thinking about biology, culture and psyche.
I thought that the variety of the material in the exhibition was stunning: letters, paintings, recordings, videos and photos..all valuable in their different ways.
I will certainly return to spend more time with the exhibition.
It feels really right for the Champernowne archive to have found a permanent home at Sheffield University. As I am sure we all felt on the day, it confers gravitas, drawing attention to and giving proper recognition of the contribution, made by Irene and all her associates, to the development of ideas and practice, now readily available to students and researchers, smashing! I found the gathering together of letters, papers, artwork and photographs of the trust's history fascinating and very moving.
(It is)…a wonderful gift