Winchester Cathedral Wins Top Cultural Enterprise Award for Whales

Brilliant news for Winchester Cathedral.

Winchester Cathedral: Top Cultural Enterprise Award

It’s a first for Winchester Cathedral who have won a top award at the Association of Cultural Enterprises Awards.

Winchester Cathedral’s Whales exhibition won Best Event beating off strong competition from Royal Ballet and Opera’s Step into the Spotlight and Castle Howard’s Alice’s Christmas in Wonderland.

The exhibit, which reimagined the historic space as an immersive underwater world won the Engaging People Award from the Association of Heritage Interpretation last October and is currently on display in Rochester Cathedral until 7 March.

Whales by artist Tessa Campbell Fraser, was a newly-commissioned work by Winchester Cathedral to highlight our relationship with oceans and whales and saw three huge sperm whales suspended in the nave, transforming the space into an underwater themed, multi-sensory exhibition using sound, scent, lighting and sculptures made from ghost nets and recovered plastics.

The sculptures invite the visitor into the imaginative world of the whale whilst asking them to reflect on man’s increasing ecological impact on the world’s climate.

Interim Dean of Winchester, The Revd Canon Dr Roland Riem said:

“We’re naturally delighted to be recognised for our Whales exhibition, which has been enjoyed by visitors to St Albans Abbey and to Rochester Cathedral this month. 

Whales was a huge success, seen by 20,000 people in Winchester. It is testament to the vision of the artist Tessa Campbell Fraser, and Harley Lambrianou who composed the soundtrack.”

With strong accessibility features and climate messaging, Whales inspired 44% of visitors to pledge environmental action. Partnerships including with the University of Southampton helped to expand programming and reach diverse and younger audiences.

Chichester Cathedral also won at award for it’s Chichester950 campaign – read about that here.