Liverpool Cathedral has postponed its Peace Doves art installation

Liverpool Cathedral has announced the postponement of its Peace Doves installation due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Liverpool Cathedral’s mass participation art project was to be curated by internationally-renowned sculptor and artist Peter Walker, culminating in the creation of a beautiful large-scale art installation, due to be suspended above the Cathedral’s Well in May.

Over 23,000 paper doves have already been sent out across the Merseyside area so schools could create their own mini artwork as part of the project.

The Dean of Liverpool, The Very Revd Dr Sue Jones said, “It is with great regret and heavy heart we are postponing our mass participation artwork, Peace Doves.”

“We’re sure you’ll understand that as a place of encounter, we want Liverpool Cathedral to be a safe place for our visitors, worshippers, staff and volunteers. So in light of the Government guidance and after careful consideration, we’re felt the best option was to postpone the Peace Doves installation. We know that many people were looking forward to filling in messages of peace, hope and love then visiting us again to see the artwork installed.”

Paul Smith, Director of Enterprise at Liverpool said,

“This is a delay rather than a cancellation. We’re committed to bringing this installation to Liverpool Cathedral and fully intend to host the installation later in the year but obviously, it is uncertain when that will be, given the current circumstances. We’re really sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.”

People had been invited to visit the Cathedral up until Sunday 19th April to write their messages of peace, hope and love on paper doves. Peter, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and member of the Royal Society of British Sculptors would have then joined the thousands of doves together to create the large-scale installation above the Well ready for its official opening on the 75th anniversary of VE day. The Cathedral has also suspended the signing of the paper doves until further notice.

Peter first created the ‘Peace Doves’ installation in the UK’s only the only medieval three-spired cathedral. Consisting of 20,000 paper doves, the artwork was suspended in the nave of Lichfield Cathedral between December 2018 and January 2019. Messages of peace were written on individual doves by children from over 70 schools from the surrounding area.

Dean Sue added,

“Our doors remain open for prayer and quiet reflection, as a source of solace in these uncertain times. To support the efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus, we’re following the recommended hygiene practices and ask everyone who comes into our building to do so too.

“We look forward to welcoming you in the not too distant future.”