Chichester Cathedral will celebrate the 60th anniversary of John Piper’s High Altar tapestry with a season of events and experiences – part of its major 2026 exhibition, Glowing + Alive.
Glowing + Alive – Chichester Cathedral – Friday 13 February to 15 November
It includes exhibitions, talks, tours and creative workshops for all ages, offering a range of ways to engage with one of the most significant works of modern sacred art in Britain.
Installed behind Chichester Cathedral’s High Altar in 1966, Piper’s seven-panel tapestry remains one of the boldest and most significant works of modern art ever placed within an English cathedral – a vivid and uncompromising commission that introduced contemporary abstract form and radiant colour into the heart of the building at a time when Britain was emerging from post-war austerity.
Sixty years on, it continues to captivate visitors, inspiring wonder and reflection.
Running from Friday 13 February to 15 November, Glowing + Alive explores the story behind the tapestry’s creation – from its commissioning to the artistry and craftsmanship involved – and how this visionary artwork brought a striking new sense of light, colour and symbolism into Chichester’s historic Cathedral.
Curators, Reverend Vanessa Baron, Canon Treasurer, and Rebecca Lewry-Grey, Visitor Experience Manager at Chichester Cathedral, said:
“Glowing + Alive tells the story of an extraordinary meeting of minds – John Piper’s deep reverence for the Church and its material history, Dean Walter Hussey’s conviction that sacred spaces should speak in a contemporary voice, and Bishop George Bell’s belief that the arts belong at the heart of Christian life.
‘The commission brought colour, confidence and daring modernism into the Cathedral, and visitors are still drawn into the tapestry’s symbolism today – pausing, questioning and interpreting what they see.
‘This season allows us to uncover the correspondence, design process and craftsmanship behind this significant and, at the time, controversial work.”
The exhibition title, Glowing + Alive was inspired by a letter found written to Dean Walter Hussey about the tapestry.
The Cathedral will host a series of events, specialist tours and creative sessions designed to help visitors explore the tapestry and the Cathedral’s artistic heritage in greater depth which include new artworks by Alice Carter, special tours and weaving workshops.
Glowing + Alive runs from 13 February – 15 November 2026. Entry to Chichester Cathedral is free – donations are welcome.
For more information and to book events and tours click here.
