On 28 October 2007 Christian Aid partner the Ecumenical Church of Sudan will open a landmark art exhibition in the Malakal region of southern Sudan aimed at promoting peace and reconciliation in an area devastated by 21 years of civil war.

The exhibition, the first of its kind in the region, comes amidst growing tensions as a peace agreement, signed in 2005, looks increasingly fragile. The exhibition, The Art of Reconciliation, which has taken two years to organise, was the brainchild of the Bishop of Malakal, Hilary G Deng, himself an artist specialising in sculpture.

Malakal is a small, predominantly Christian, town on the banks of the White Nile where most people depend on fishing, farming and cattle rearing. Development in the remote region following the signing of the peace agreement has been slow.

'Malakal and the Upper Nile in general have been the source and centre of major violence in southern Sudan because there are many different tribal groups living together. Malakal is also the meeting ground of very different Sudanese cultures: Islam and Christianity, Arab and African. So I believe the exhibition would carry to our people a variety of cultural messages from the people of Sudan.

We need to build new relationships, new communities, new homes and futures for ourselves and our children. Art will speak to them with a new language of hope rather than that of violence and guns, soldiers and war,' said Bishop Deng.

The exhibition will take place at the ECS primary school, built largely with Christian Aid funds, with each artist exhibiting five pieces combining a mixture of sculpture and graphics. Local people are being encouraged to get involved and the show will include a display of traditional crafts by the local Mother's Union and work by pupils of the school.

A series of eight after school workshops will be held to involve children in a variety of artistic projects including traditional modelling with local clay.

The exhibition will be opened by the Bishop of Malakal and local leaders and is expected to draw thousands of visitors from miles around.

Caroline Wood, Christian Aid's programme communications officer for Sudan, said: 'We are delighted to be able to fund this event. It is vital at this time amidst growing tensions and increasing frustrations to enable religious and societal leaders of the community to encourage their people to reflect on what peace and reconciliation means. The exhibition has already been delayed once due to local tensions but Bishop Deng and the Church were determined to make the event happen, believing that art and reflection has a pivotal role to play in helping people to recover from war.'

ENDS

For further press information contact Karen Hedges on 020 7523 2404 or email khedges@christian-aid.org.

Notes to editor Christian Aid is an international development agency working in 50 countries with people of all religions and none. Artist biogs

Bishop Hilary Garang Deng A BA Graduate in sculpture from the College of Fine & Applied Arts in 1990. Originally from the Bor area of Southern Sudan. Currently the Episcopal Church of Sudan, Bishop of Malakal. He has exhibited in America and the UK. He specialises in sculpture.

Standslous Tombe Standslous comes from Equatoria in Southern Sudan and was a citizen of Juba, however he was displaced by war to Khartoum. He is a graduate of the Fine & Applied Art College, Sudan University. He has had several exhibitions within Sudan including Juba and Khartoum. He has done a lot of work with the Catholic Church in Sudan and the Sudan Council of Churches (SCC). He specialises in graphics.

Abdu Osman Head of Sculpture Department at the College of Fine & Applied Arts since 1990 having just completed a PhD in Cultural Studies. Abdu Osman was a Fine Arts Teacher at Malakal Secondary School in the seventies and many students from the South still remember him. He is a good friend of many artists in Southern Sudan although he is originally from the North. He specialises in sculpture.

David Morbe He graduated from the College of Fine & Applied Arts in 2003. He is a Catholic member by faith and is originally from the Equatorial region of Southern Sudan. He has had one exhibition last year. He specialises in sculpture.

Abdel Rahmen He is a graduate of the College of Fine & Applied Arts in the 1980s. He is currently the Deputy Head of the Department of Fine & Applied Arts at Sudan University. He has held many exhibitions in Khartoum while continuing to teach. He specialises in sculpture.