23,000 Peace Doves are winging their way to schools

Over the next few weeks, 23,000 paper doves will be winging their way to primary schools across Merseyside as part of the Peace Dove art exhibition at Liverpool Cathedral.

This mass participation art project, curated by internationally-renowned sculptor and artist Peter Walker, will culminate in the creation of a beautiful large-scale art installation that will be suspended above the Cathedral’s Well from Friday 8 May to Sunday 31 May 2020.

Each school will receive a pack of 40 paper doves, which the children can decorate any way they like with messages of peace, hope and love. Once decorated, schools can use the doves to create their own mini Peace Doves artwork. One ‘Messenger Dove’ can also ‘fly’ back to be part of the major installation at the Cathedral.

One school was so inspired by the art project that they brought all their pupils and teachers to the Cathedral to be part of the installation. LIPA Primary School came, class-by-class, into the Cathedral and wrote their messages of peace hope and love on paper doves.

Yvonne Pearson, education officer for the Cathedral said: “We’re so pleased to be able to support primary schools across Merseyside in creating their very own Peace Doves artwork. LIPA Primary School not only wanted to create an artwork in their setting but also wanted as many children as possible to be part of our major installation. Some of the children’s messages were truly awe-inspiring.

“Sending out doves beyond the Cathedral also means that children can explore peace, war and religion interactively while creating their own beautiful dove-themed artwork.

“We’re asking the schools to photograph their Peace Dove artwork display and share it with us using #LiverpoolDoves. We can’t wait to see the creativity of the children and their teachers.”

Holly Lucas, LIPA Primary School SENCO and deputy headteacher said: “Thank you so much, we have absolutely loved it! We are so pleased to be a part of such an exciting event at the Cathedral and it was lovely working with you today. Keep us updated on anything we can help you with in the future or anything else we can be part of.”

People are invited to visit the Cathedral up until Sunday 19 April, and 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 will join 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 on 8 May 2020.

During February half-term, the Cathedral education team held several dove-themed family activity sessions where children with their parents or carers wrote their messages of peace, hope and love on paper doves.