Cranes Fly at York Minster

Families, children and schools across York and beyond were invited to take part in the Kibo Cranes project.

Hundreds of paper cranes have taken flight in York Minster – part of a community art project designed to help us reflect on the pandemic year.

The project is inspired by the Japanese tradition of creating paper cranes as a sign of hope or ‘kibō’,  on which children were encouraged to write their own messages to express their feelings about the last year.

The project is a collaboration between local artist and ceramics tutor at York St Peter’s School, Penny Phillips, and the Minster.

Penny said:

“In Japan, cranes symbolise health and a thousand years of long life. A thousand origami paper cranes are often given to a person who is ill, to wish for their recovery.

“The pandemic has made the last year difficult in all sorts of ways and we hope this exhibition has encouraged everyone, but particularly the children, to share their thoughts and feelings about the last year and their hopes for the future.”

The cranes have been made with traditional origami paper, ordinary coloured or plain paper, newspaper or any other material that keeps its shape when folded. Children were invited to draw on their cranes, write a wish, message, story, poem, their name or leave them blank.

The cranes are displayed in the central crossing of York Minster. Check out the York Minster’s website for opening times – the website address can be found here.