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NEWCASTLE CATHEDRAL
NEWCASTLE CATHEDRAL
A BEACON OF LIGHT
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‘Seeking the Disabled Christ’ – Exhibition by Rachel Holdforth
30th July 2025 - 8th September 2025
This exhibition has been extended until Monday 8 September 2025.
Traditional portrayals of Christ often emphasise ideals of perfection, strength and beauty. Yet, Christ is resurrected with his wounds. His full humanity and sharing in the complete range of human experiences is as important as his divinity, since he is Emmanuel, God with us.
This collection of prints by Rachel Holdforth – a disabled, neurodivergent and queer spiritual director, printmaker and chaplain – challenges the conventions of beauty and perfection, offering a powerful critique of cultural and religious norms that have historically marginalised people with disabilities.
Through these striking images, Christ is depicted in solidarity with all humanity, revealing that divinity is present in vulnerability, difference and embodied experience.
About the artist:
Rachel (she/her) is a disabled, neurodivergent and queer freelance disability theologian and advocate, printmaker and creative and spiritual director based in Newcastle upon Tyne.
After completing a PhD in science, she worked in disability support in higher education before training and serving as a spiritual director and lay chaplain.
She has significant experience in spirituality, disability theology and chaplaincy over the past decade in a variety of contexts including social care, workplaces and theological education.
Click here to learn more about the exhibition.
View Access Information for Newcastle Cathedral.
Additional events:
‘Seeking the Disabled Christ’ Exhibition Launch and Celebration
‘Seeking the Disabled Christ’ Networking Lunch and Quiet Afternoon
