The creation of a community arts project is set to be unveiled at Lichfield Cathedral.
Throughout May and June, people from across the region have been designing and painting individual letters of the alphabet. Stephen Raw, who specialises in artworks featuring text, will turn all these letters into The Lichfield Banner, depicting Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy’s specially commissioned poem to celebrate the Lichfield Festival’s 30th Anniversary.
Workshops have taken place at Lichfield Library, Burntwood Library, Jigsaw Centre, Bridge Learning Centre, Saxon Hill Special School, All Saints Primary School Alrewas, St James Primary School in Longdon and Swinfen Hall Young Offenders Institute, as well as at the Lichfield Festival Spring Fayre and the Lichfield Festival Office.
The initiative has also been supported by Staffordshire County Councillors Steve Tranter, Matthew Ellis, Janet Eagland, Terry Finn, Frank Lewis, Steve Atkins and Alan White who each donated £600 from their Staffordshire Local Community Fund.
The Lichfield Banner will be unveiled in Lichfield Cathedral on July 13 at 7pm. The Poet Laureate will read A Poem For The City as part of an evening of poetry and music with the National Poet of Wales Gillian Clarke and multi-instrumentalist John Sampson.
Tickets are now available from the Lichfield Festival box office at the Lichfield Garrick theatre on 01543 412121 or online at www.lichfieldfestival.org.