A Shared Story: Bad Gandersheim and Skegness
Bad Gandersheim and Skegness have shared a close and meaningful relationship since 1979, when the two towns were officially twinned. The partnership was founded on friendship, cultural exchange, and a commitment to strengthening understanding between our communities.
For more than a decade, Skegness artist John Byford has played an important role in nurturing this connection through the arts. His creative initiatives have brought people together and helped deepen the cultural ties between the two towns. Among these projects is the much-loved Two Voices, which celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2025 and has become a valued part of the cultural life of Bad Gandersheim.
At a time when international friendship and cultural cooperation are more important than ever, these projects demonstrate the enduring role of the arts in bringing communities together.
Donna Carlton / Photo: Byford.JOHN > 2026. Skegness
Celebrating 2026
In 2026, Bad Gandersheim will host celebrations honouring Roswitha [Hrosvitha] of Gandersheim - Germany’s pioneering tenth-century female poet whose work broke boundaries and inspired generations.
Her!
'Her' is a celebration of women from Skegness — where they’ve come from, how they arrived here, and what it has meant to grow up or live by the coast.
Each woman shares a fragment of her story, in her own words.
Some were born here. Some found their way here. All are threads in the fabric of this place.
Life in Skegness is not one story, but many — a quiet chorus of voices, experiences and memories that, together, paint a living portrait of the town and the women who give it life.
Created as part of Bad Gandersheim’s 2026 celebrations of Roswitha [Hrosvitha], a woman who found her voice, Her presents a series of photographic portraits, each one holding a moment, a memory, a voice.
All images shot with a 40mm 'pancake' lens using a Canon 5d MK4.
© Byford.JOHN || 2026 || Skegness, England
