The Great Exhibition – Lichfield Cathedral

It was used as a Covid vaccine centre, helping to vaccinate thousands of people – now Lichfield Cathedral will be transformed by an immersive light and sound show that tells the story of science and the people who make it happen.

Lichfield Cathedral will host ‘The Great Exhibition: Science’ this month.

The Great Exhibition will see light and sound projections throughout the interior of the 900 year old Cathedral sharing the stories of science and its influencers from the past and the present.

And as a special thank you to all those NHS staff who administered the vaccines, the Cadent staff who provided a marque to protect the queueing patients from the weather, and the cathedral volunteers who helped make the clinics run smoothly, there are free tickets for them and their families to attend a special preview evening held on August 18 – the night before The Great Exhibition opens to the general public. 

The Dean of Lichfield, the Very Revd Adrian Dorber said:

“We have witnessed first-hand the power of science to transform people’s lives.

“The creation of the vaccines and the rollout programme that is helping us to survive this pandemic, has demonstrated once more the vital role that science plays in our lives and we are extremely grateful to all those who helped us play our part in this.

“The Great Exhibition is a fun, engaging and awe-inspiring celebration of all that science has achieved throughout history. 

“And we all need something to lift up our eyes and to remind us of how truly amazing the world around us can be,” he added

The Great Exhibition has been created by Luxmuralis, a creative collaboration whose light shows have been seen in cathedrals and historic buildings across the world including many of our English Cathedrals, Westminster Abbey and the Cathedral of St Paul’s in Minnesota USA.

Video courtesy of Luxmuralis and Lichfield cathedral.

Lichfield Cathedral’s artist-in-residence, Peter Walker who collaborates as Luxmuralis, said:

“The Great Exhibition is about seeing things in new ways on a vast scale. We create these events with the aim of encouraging people to see the world differently.”

The Great Exhibition runs from 19-30 August. Tickets are available from the Lichfield Cathedral website or by telephoning 01543 306101.

Please be assured all our Church of England cathedrals have achieved the Visit Britain’s industry standard and consumer charter mark We’re Good to Go which means visitors can be confident that cathedrals are taking all the necessary steps to help ensure people’s safety.

Tickets will be refunded for those unable to attend for reasons related to Covid (Please see terms and conditions on Lichfield Cathedral’s website).

Photo credit – Luxmuralis