Best Staffordshire Event 2017
The spectacular illuminations which brought Lichfield Cathedral and the city centre to life over the festive period has been crowned ‘Best Staffordshire Event 2017’ by readers of Staffordshire ‘What’s On’.
The Lichfield Lumiere – funded by Lichfield Cathedral and the Lichfield Business Improvement District (BID) and created by Luxmuralis and Peter Walker, the Cathedral’s artist-in-residence – was handed the prestigious title in the Staffordshire What’s On Readers Awards.
The stunning event, which took place from Monday 19 to Friday 23 December, incorporated the iconic light display at the Cathedral as well as additional projections across the city, while, through Advent and Christmas, 10,000 Angels were installed in the Cathedral’s South Transept.
Through the 10,000 Angels project, Lichfield Cathedral worked with more than 7,500 children, while over 25,000 people flocked to the city to see the illuminations.
Adrian Dorber, the Dean of Lichfield Cathedral, says: “We are delighted to receive this award and our thanks go to all who attended and voted for this wonderful event. We look forward to welcoming visitors back in 2017 and plans are already underway to top this award-winning year.”
Peter Walker says: “It’s fantastic and especially rewarding for the artistic team, the Cathedral staff and the wonderful volunteers to know that so many people have voted for the Lichfield Lumiere as the number one event in Staffordshire for 2017.
“The project lays the foundations for big plans at the Cathedral over the coming years and we look forward to seeing everyone across the district and the region at our events this year.”
Paul Maddox, Lichfield BID Chair, says: “The BID is committed to providing a commercially successful Christmas for the city and feedback from the restaurants and bars was incredibly positive with many reporting they were at capacity during the week.”
Runners-up for the award included The Enchanted Chandelier by Transe Express, the Scare Fest at Alton Towers, Lichfield Proms in Beacon Park and the St George’s Day celebrations at Tamworth Castle.
Lichfield Cathedral is presenting an exciting calendar of events this spring, such as a performance from world-famous chorister Aled Jones, and ‘Mr Turner Comes To Lichfield’, an exhibition celebrating the works of the acclaimed Romanticist painter JMW Turner, which will include the little shown watercolour of Lichfield Cathedral (first public showing in over 20 years), a showing of the film Mr Turner starring Timothy Spall, and the West End play The Painter.