Schoolchildren across region make selfies for biggest Cathedral art project

Thousands of schoolchildren across the West Midlands are making selfies and creating their own portrait galleries to be part of the biggest art engagement project Lichfield Cathedral has ever undertaken. 

In the Image and Likeness: A Constellation of Images by Peter Walker Artist will see home-grown self-portrait galleries hanging in schools, churches and businesses across the county in conjunction with The Cathedral Illuminated light and sound show this Christmas. 

It is the biggest engagement project the cathedral has ever undertaken with over 23,000 self portraits already created for this latest work of art conceived by the artist to say something new about what it is to be human. 

Packs have gone out round 55 local schools and church groups for people to create their own self portrait hanging galleries while over 5,000 were created by visitors to The Great Exhibition this summer and it is expected numbers involved will be significantly higher. 

Said Peter: “This artwork encourages people to think about identity, human dignity, and what they want to say about themselves through self-portrait.

“We hope to create little satellite art installations across the region by encouraging schools and churches to create their own Constellation of Images with the Cathedral at the centre of it all,’ he added. 

A selfie station has been set up in the Cathedral for visitors to take part – it is sited next to a portrait of Lichfield’s famous son, Samuel Johnson painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds currently on loan from the National Portrait Gallery as part of its touring project, Coming Home 

Each year Lichfield Cathedral invites schools, community groups, churches, visitors and businesses to be part of its celebration of Christmas. Previous projects have included 22,000 doves, 10,000 angels and 5,000 stars – all of which have then gone on show in the Cathedral as an integral part of The Cathedral Illuminated sound and light art installation by Artist Peter Walker in collaboration with Luxmuralis.