There’s Hope for 2020 at Lichfield Cathedral

In recent years Lichfield Cathedral has provided people from across the region, the UK and overseas with an exciting and creative programme of events, art installations and interactive exhibitions. In recognition, the Museums & Heritage Awards have shortlisted Lichfield Cathedral for the Partnership of the Year Award, acknowledging the unique partnership with Artist in Residence, Peter Walker including work by artistic collaboration Luxmuralis for ‘Journeys Through Space, Light & Time’ in 2019.

Throughout 2020 the Cathedral and Artist in Residence have been creating inspirational works to bring a message of hope and making plans for the rest of 2020 and into 2021. The programme for 2020 has been designed to enable everyone to enjoy safely their experience at Lichfield Cathedral.

Over the August bank holiday weekend, Lichfield Cathedral will have special extended opening hours on Saturday 29 and Monday 31 August. There will be space to soak up the atmosphere in the Cathedral and around the Close – there are some lovely picnic spots if the weather is good. On the evening of Saturday 29 August, the Cathedral will be hosting a ‘Cathedrals at Night’ until 10.00pm – a dedicated evening for reflection, prayer, looking at the beauty of the building and listening to ambient music.

Also, during August work will begin on the clay model of what will become a 3m bronze statue of St Chad by Peter Walker, Sculptor. The statue is due to be installed in March 2021 on the South East side of the Close. Visitors will be able to see the artist working on the statue in his studio on selected days in September.

At the same time a living artwork will be created around the statue called ‘The Hope Garden’. This will comprise 50,000 spring flowers, which will be planted as a gift of remembrance and hope to the city. The flowers will bloom every year around St Chad’s Day, March 2, and in readiness for Easter. This date also marks the anniversary of the lockdown at the start of the pandemic.

“The Covid-19 crisis has affected us all. We wanted to mark the legacy of 2020 and what we’ve experienced with something beautiful and uplifting. The flowers will bloom each year in memory of what has been lost, but also as a reminder that hope springs from the ground even after the harshest of winters,” explains the Very Revd Adrian Dorber, Dean of Lichfield.

To coincide with All Saints and All Souls Days (1 & 2 November), beams of light will be cast into the night sky in an installation called ‘Light of Hope’. The beams will offer a symbol of hope shining high into the sky, for all around to see.

“Light of Hope is an opportunity for us to collectively remember those who have helped and given so much during the past year, as well as take time to remember those we have lost and think about those near to us,” says Peter Walker, Sculptor.

All Saints Day, November 1, celebrates all the saints of God who have been beacons of Christ’s light through the ages - people who have warmed and lit the world with their faith and love. All Souls’ Day, November 2, is an occasion to remember and give thanks for departed friends and relatives - our love is a bridge between life and death.

A new touring artwork by Peter Walker, Sculptor, entitled ‘The Leaves of the Trees’ will be installed in early November at Lichfield Cathedral. Designed as a reflective memorial to the pandemic, the installation will give people an opportunity to reflect on their own experiences during lockdown and express their thoughts.

Lichfield Cathedral is also putting plans in place to bring back two of the Cathedral’s most popular events: ‘Poppy Fields’ and ‘Imagine Peace’. The team at Luxmuralis will combine the two shows into one immersive experience at the beginning of November. These plans will be dependent on the government guidelines leading up the event, as will the Cathedral’s plans to host the award-winning Cathedral Illuminated before Christmas.

“For many, The Cathedral Illuminated has become a family tradition and we are still making plans for the illuminations in 2020. We very much hope to welcome visitors back to this much-loved event,” Vicky Osborn, Senior Marketing Manager at Lichfield Cathedral.

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