Event Details
- Location: Newcastle Cathedral
- Address: St Nicholas Square, Newcastle, NE1 1PF
- Start date: 30th July 2025
- End date: 27th August 2025
- Times: 8.00am
- Entry fee: £0 (Donations welcome)
‘Seeking the Disabled Christ‘, an exhibition by Rachel Holdforth, explores the intersection of disability and divinity through art.
Traditional portrayals of Christ often emphasise ideals of perfection, strength and beauty. Yet, Christ is resurrected with his wounds — a profound reminder that vulnerability and suffering are part of the human experience.
As Emmanuel, ‘God with us,’ Christ’s full humanity is as vital as his divinity.
This compelling series of prints by Rachel Holdforth — a disabled, neurodivergent and queer spiritual director, printmaker and chaplain — challenges conventional portrayals of holiness. Her work questions the cultural and religious ideals that have historically excluded or marginalised disabled bodies.
Through these striking images, Christ is depicted in radical solidarity with all people, revealing that divinity can be found in difference, vulnerability, and embodied experience.
Free accompanying events:
Exhibition Launch and Celebration – Saturday 9 August, 2–4pm
Networking Lunch and Quiet Afternoon – Saturday 16 August, 1–4pm
Online Talk – ‘Seeking the Disabled Christ’ – Monday 18 August, 7:30–8:45pm
Click find out more below for details of how to book these.