Artist Documentary Film | Peace Doves Installation at Durham Cathedral
This artist documentary film captures the emotional journey of a community-led art installation at Durham Cathedral — a canopy of 15,000 paper doves, each inscribed with a prayer, hope, or message for peace.
Over nearly four months, hundreds of visitors, school groups, volunteers, and international guests participated in crafting this deeply moving installation, which now hangs suspended in the cathedral’s nave.
🎨 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.
“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.” — Artist interview excerpt
That sense of public participation and emotional collectivity was at the heart of this project. Through writing, folding, and sharing, the community became not just observers but co-creators of the artwork.
🕊️ The Unveiling of a Living Sculpture
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.
“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
The result was both visual and visceral—a soaring artwork that balanced craft, symbolism, and sacred architecture.
🧭 Why I Made This Film
As a documentary filmmaker based in the North East, my work is driven by a desire to document how people and place shape one another—often through creative, collaborative, and site-responsive work. The Peace Doves installation aligned closely with my long-standing interest in arts and heritage storytelling, particularly in sacred or historic settings.
This film continues a thread in my practice where I explore how art transforms public space and how community memory can be made visible through creative means.
Notable projects with similar themes include:
- 🎞️ Portrait of the Artist as an Island Flower — a poetry and heritage-based short film for The Maltings, reflecting on the botanical illustrations of Margaret Rebecca Dickinson.
- 📽️ Most Creative Station Arts Documentary— documenting public artworks installed at Middlesbrough Railway Station, including artist interviews and reflections on community, colour, and heritage in transit spaces.
Each project shares a concern with voice, memory, and transformation, using film as a way to reflect and preserve how people engage with place.
📍 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 were invited to contribute written reflections over a four-month period, culminating in a suspended sculpture of 15,000 white doves unveiled in July 2024.
This free public artwork was supported by a rich programme of events: late-night viewings, a commemorative Evensong, educational activities, and even dinners beneath the installation. An accompanying display in the Galilee Chapel offered insight into the process through objects, photos, and voices from the community.
Learn more: Durham Cathedral’s official Peace Doves article
🎬 Watch the Film
👉 Full documentary coming soon to YouTube
🎥 View more of my films: https://vimeo.com/alanfentiman
This short film invites audiences to reflect on what peace means—not just in the abstract, but in real lives, real spaces, and in the power of quiet, shared moments.
📖 About Me
I’m a filmmaker working across the North East and beyond, specialising in documentary films about artists, heritage, research, and creative change. I work closely with organisations, universities, museums, and community partners to uncover and tell compelling stories—particularly where place, memory, and creativity intersect.
“Documenting the ideas, practices, and people driving art, heritage, research, and creative change.”
🌐 Website: [Your Website URL]
📷 Instagram: @alanfentiman
📺 Vimeo: vimeo.com/alanfentiman