About the Film

This public art installation film documents the emotional journey of a community-led artwork at Durham Cathedral. Over nearly four months, hundreds of visitors, school groups, volunteers and international guests participated in crafting Peace Doves — a suspended canopy of 15,000 paper doves, each inscribed with a prayer, hope, or message for peace, created by artist Peter Walker.

A Collective Labour of Hope

From April onwards, visitors to Durham Cathedral were invited to reflect and respond by writing on paper doves — small, simple forms that together formed a large-scale meditation on peace. Each dove contained an individual voice, yet became part of a greater whole: a peaceful swarm brought to life through light, space, and air. Making a public art installation film in a sacred, active building like Durham Cathedral requires patience and sensitivity — the work of filming has to breathe at the same pace as the installation itself.

It’s not just like one installation — there’s 15,000 different prayers and hopes for peace. It’s a whole community that have come together.

Through writing, folding, and sharing, the community became not just observers but co-creators of the artwork. That sense of public participation and emotional collectivity was at the heart of this project.

The Unveiling

On 26 July 2024, the final suspended sculpture was revealed, filling the cathedral’s central nave with a powerful sense of calm and contemplation. Visitors and staff alike were moved by the scale and grace of the piece — its ability to animate the architecture while amplifying silence and stillness. Moments like this are what make public art installation film work so rewarding: the camera simply has to be present and attentive.

As soon as I came in today and saw the white doves hanging in the nave, it made a real impact on me. — John Garside, volunteer

About the Peace Doves Installation

Durham Cathedral partnered with artist Peter Walker for Peace Doves, a national touring artwork adapted specifically for Durham’s architectural context. Visitors contributed written reflections over a four-month period, culminating in a suspended public art installation unveiled in July 2024.

The installation was supported by a rich programme of events: late-night viewings, a commemorative Evensong, educational activities, and dinners beneath the installation. An accompanying display in the Galilee Chapel offered insight into the process through objects, photographs, and voices from the community. Learn more at Durham Cathedral’s website.

Filming Public Art in Heritage Settings

As a documentary filmmaker based in the North East, I specialise in public art installation film work within heritage and cultural settings. My approach is always observational — keeping a light touch, working around the rhythms of the building and its visitors, and looking for the quiet moments that reveal how people genuinely engage with an artwork. If you are planning a film around a public art commission, installation, or heritage project, I would be happy to talk about what might be involved.