Heritage Lottery Grant Funds Spectacular Son et Lumière at Chichester Cathedral

A spectacular Son et Lumière telling the story of Chichester Cathedral through the ages will take place in November thanks to a Heritage Lottery Grant.

The Heritage Lottery Fund has just awarded a grant of £50,000 towards the creative project to mark this momentous year, in which the Cathedral celebrates its 900th Anniversary.

The magnificent Son et Lumière extravaganza will use state of the art audio-visual technology and 12 performances are planned for November this year. The very latest technology - including lasers and surround sound - will be used to project the story of the Cathedral's history onto its very own stunning architecture.

Performances will take place inside the Cathedral and will be narrated by two nationally famous actors. The script will be especially written to bring to life the Cathedral’s epic journey through 900 years of history, including the Romans, the Normans, the Reformation, the Civil War, 20th Century Wars, and ending up in the present day.

Volunteers will be recruited to research the 900 years and the Cathedral will also take oral histories from people involved in the life of the Cathedral, the city of Chichester, and throughout Sussex too.

The Dean of Chichester, the Very Revd Nicholas Frayling, is delighted: “This generous award both makes the project possible and will enable this wonderful Cathedral to show how it has been intertwined with the city of Chichester and the people of Sussex, from its very beginning. People of all ages and cultures will have a wonderful opportunity to experience 900 years of history and see the Cathedral come alive in a contemporary and modern display. We hope too, that other partners will help us make this exciting event both memorable and rewarding for all that see it.”

Sheena Vick, Heritage Lottery Fund Manager for the South East, said: “Chichester Cathedral means so much to individuals and communities, not only for its religious significance, but also as a place of beauty and as a marker of key moments in personal or national history. This project will bring the stories to life and capture them for future generations.”

The Son et Lumière is just one of a number of events planned at the Cathedral in this very special year which marks two major anniversaries. In 1108, exactly 900 years ago, Chichester Cathedral was set apart as sacred space. In 2008, this glorious Cathedral celebrates 900 years since its consecration and also remembers the life of its most famous Bishop, George Bell (1883-1958), who died 50 years ago this year. George Bell is famous worldwide for his life’s work and in particular for his courageous stance during the Second World War.

These two unique anniversaries make for a fascinating year at the Cathedral and the programme of events also includes a special programme of exhibitions from March through to November, a series of lectures given by several famous speakers, a season of films to be screened at Chichester Cinema at New Park (May/June), the hugely successful Festival of Flowers from the 29th to the 31st May, a special 900th Anniversary Service especially for schools (in September) and a specially devised Community Play involving 6 local schools.