Making Sacred Space Common Ground – The Final Update!

This article was written by Lindy Gilliland, Project Manager of the Cathedral’s National Heritage Lottery Funded project…

As the Cathedral’s Common Ground in Sacred Space project funding draws to a close in April, it’s right to reflect on many people’s hard work over the last five years, enabling us to transform Newcastle Cathedral into the bright, welcoming and flexible space it is today. One project aim was to reduce perceived and real physical and social barriers to visiting, and our vision of a welcome for everyone bore fruit with over 150,000 visitors last year. In addition to the regular rhythm of daily worship, we have welcomed some of the most vulnerable members of the community; hosted business events, conferences, policy events and key-note speakers; received school parties, history societies and refugees; hosted comedy nights, music extravaganzas, interfaith groups and community artists as well as many other individuals and groups who have found something to hold them here.

2023 is also shaping up with a wide variety of events, including our first evening sound and light evening, ‘Light at the End of the Tunnel’, curated by six regional artists; ‘Bring Up the Bodies’, an exhibition focusing on the Cathedral’s 2021 archaeological excavations; Peter Marlow’s iconic exhibition, ‘The English Cathedral’; not to mention Coronation weekend, and the summer holiday’s ‘Shaun the Sheep on the Tyne’ art trail (complete with shepherd’s flock!).

Volunteer welcomers are central to the Cathedral’s visitor experience. We continue to recruit people from all walks of life who want to make a difference and share their enthusiasm for all the Cathedral has to offer. The heritage landmark provides space for engagement on several levels – worship, history, and social and cultural enrichment.

On International Women’s Day, 75 participants came to listen to women from businesses, universities, cultural organisations and third-sector organisations shine a light on women’s issues. Town, Gown and Church came together to unveil a plaque to Mary Astell, a distinguished 18th-century proto-feminist writer. Later, the girl choristers performed music by American composer Amy Beach at Evensong. The event was a perfect example of what the Common Ground in Sacred Space Project was set up to do – to bring diverse people together in neutral space for exploration and celebration of matters important to the local community.