This is Planet Earth – Leicester Cathedral

Leicester Cathedral marks Earth Day 2021 today with the announcement that artist Luke Jerram’s giant installation of the planet Earth, ‘Gaia’ will open in the nave next month.

Planet Earth Installation to arrive at Leicester Cathedral

Measuring seven metres in diameter, Gaia features detailed imagery of the Earth’s surface, compiled from NASA’s Visible Earth series and will be open to the public (online booking required) from 17 May – 6 June 2021.

More about Earth Day 2021 here.

A specially made surround sound composition by BAFTA award-winning composer Dan Jones is played alongside the sculpture. A series of seven special events themed around the seven continents will be staged beneath Gaia including a Dean’s Discussion with Antarctic Explorer Frida Bengtsson, a didgeridoo workshop for all the family and a film screening of He Named Me Malala.

Leicester was one of the first Church of England cathedrals to host Luke Jerram’s sister installation to Gaia, the Museum of the Moon in 2018 and again in 2019 when it returned to mark the 50th anniversary of the Moon Landing. The Museum of the Moon has so far been seen by over three million members of the public in more than 25 countries worldwide.

The Revd Canon Karen Rooms, Canon Missioner at the Cathedral, said:

“William Anders’ Apollo 8 ‘Earthrise’ photograph of an Earth rising from the horizon of the moon, taken on Christmas Eve in 1968 was the poster on my teenage bedroom wall. Astronauts tell us how captivating the blue planet is hanging in cold empty space – what a miracle life is in all its abundant forms. I hope we will experience some of that wonder encountering Gaia in the Cathedral.”

You can book to see Gaia or any of the special events on the Leicester Cathedral Eventbrite page from 22 April onwards.

It is hope that the Cathedral will be able to resume worship services open to the public at this time and if so, services will continue at the Cathedral at the usual times (free of charge as normal) whilst Gaia is in situ. Information about service times can be found here: https://www.leicestercathedral.org

Gaia has been created in partnership with the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), Bluedot and the UK Association for Science and Discovery Centres.

More info: http://my-earth.org/