Festivals
Newcastle Cathedral
Location
- Newcastle, UK
Date
-
11-13 April 2023
18:30 - 21:30
About
Newcastle Cathedral is the mother church of the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle and the ‘seat’ of the Bishop of Newcastle. In 2020, Newcastle Cathedral underwent a major redevelopment project supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The building reopened in summer 2021 following the completion of the capital works project which took inspiration from the Cathedral’s ancient roots to reinvent the space as a dynamic hub for worship and community activity. Changes include a remodelled interior and heritage interpretation scheme, improved disabled access and a landscaped outdoor terrace and churchyard.
In April 2023, Newcastle Cathedral will host its first evening art trail, Light at the End of the Tunnel.
LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL ART TRAIL
Tuesday 11 - Thursday 13 April 2023
Timed slots, 6.30 - 9.30pm
Light at the End of the Tunnel is a contemplative audio-visual art trail that will shine a light on some of Newcastle Cathedral’s most beautiful and meaningful spaces.
Featuring the work of six artists who create with light and sound, the art trail offers something for everyone to enjoy. There are immersive projections, playful and interactive installations, and choral soundscapes – all designed to celebrate the changing of the seasons and our search for hope in the arrival of spring.
Pre-booking essential. Timed slots are available via lightattheend.eventbrite.co.uk
Tickets are £6 for adults and £3 for children; all ticketholders are welcome to stay until the end of the event at 9:30pm and can get involved in creative activities. The Cathedral refectory, Cafe 16, will stay open till late, offering hot and cold refreshments.
This event has been made possible with support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
ARTISTS AND TITLES
Egypt Clarke: Barrier of Illusion
Egypt is an artist from Teesside whose work includes drawing, printmaking, sculpture and installation. For Newcastle Cathedral, Egypt will install three vibration-sensitive light sculptures that respond to visitors as they move around the space - creating patterns and sequences in response to people as they walk, stamp or even dance by the ‘Barrier of Illusion’.
Multiminded Design: Look into the light
By lighting one end of the Crypt in an immersive series of images that depict the seasons, Multiminded Design's ambitious response to the Cathedral’s brief will be a must-see for visitors. Multiminded Design explained that the piece will ‘celebrate the human ability to look past the darkness of mid-winter and celebrate the joy that spring brings to the natural world’. A bespoke electronic soundtrack accompanies and is synchronised with the visuals, adding to the overall uplifting experience.
Graham Dolphin: Open the morning window
For his contribution, Graeme was inspired by the beautiful and ancient sounds of Evensong, which echo around Newcastle Cathedral six days a week. Graeme took four lines from the lyrics of a song by Japanese group Magical Power Mako, which he then recorded in twenty different languages. Visitors can listen to the assembled choir of untrained young and old voices via discrete speakers, placed around the Cathedral’s Quire. This is an area of exceptional significance in the Cathedral and hearing the choir jubilantly welcome spring, and embrace hope, light and nature will be a memorable experience.
Lizzie Lovejoy: Untitled
Inspired by the stories of local people, Lizzie will create a poetry-based soundscape, featuring neon words in the shadows of the nave’s imposing medieval pillars. Their piece will recall the memories held within the Cathedral’s walls of the significant moments that pepper the lives of its community over many years. Lizzie will also spend time as an artist-in-residence, interacting with visitors during the exhibition, drawing and noting stories that they will document in a live sketchbook.
Julia Snowdin: Dot Dome
The playful and immersive ‘Dot Dome’ invites visitors on a journey to a new location. Julia’s colourful and mirrored dome will be especially popular with children and families, who can play in the dome, turning the colourful circles to create their own universe. The artist worked with a school to ensure the dome’s design is fully inclusive: the dome is wheelchair accessible and can be enjoyed at varying heights.
Frederick Worrell: The Brass Eagle Takes Flight
There is a long tradition of eagle lecterns crafted in wood and brass, with talons grasping a globe and wings, depicting the word of God being carried to every part of the world. However, many of those seen in churches today are from the Victorian era, which revived a tradition which fell out of favour in the Reformation, with many eagles destroyed in the Cromwellian period. Newcastle Cathedral’s brass eagle is a fine one of 45 examples of pre-Reformation eagles that remain, making it a fine and treasured old bird. In Frederick’s work the brass eagle has taken flight in a piece that evokes the symbolism and beauty of stained glass windows to surprise visitors and bring light to the Cathedral’s dark, high walls and ceiling.
