Peace Doves now open at Rochester Cathedral
15th February 2023
Thousands of visitors and over sixty schools across the southeast have taken part in the latest large-scale immersive artwork at Rochester Cathedral which opened this week.
Peace Doves now open at Rochester Cathedral
Peace Doves, an artwork by Peter Walker, is made up of around fifteen thousand individually handmade paper doves which are suspended above the Nave.
Over the past few months, thousands of visitors have written their own messages onto paper doves at the Cathedral which have been incorporated into the installation.
The project has gone beyond Rochester Cathedral itself with over 60 schools across the South East signing up to create their own Peace Dove displays in school.
The Dean of Rochester, the Very Revd Dr Philip Hesketh said:
“In a world of constant conflict the need to work and pray for peace should be central to our lives. This artwork provides a visible expression for our hopes and dreams for a better world.’
An iteration of Peace Doves has been seen in many of our cathedrals including Liverpool, Lichfield, Derby and Sheffield.
Peace Doves is open until the 18th April. Admission is free during the day with charges applying for special events and groups. There is a planned programme of events under Peace Doves including music and a vigil to mark the first anniversary of the war in Ukraine next week.
Find out more at www.rochestercathedral.org/peacedoves
Photos by Clive Tanner and Peter Walker Sculptor.