Peterborough Cathedral has launched a striking new nativity scene for the city in partnership with Queensgate Shopping Centre.
The contemporary sculpture, designed and created by the residents of HMP Peterborough, stands over 8ft tall in the Cathedral’s North Portico and features the central nativity figures of Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus. The handcrafted sculpture is the result of months of work, conducted by HMP Peterborough residents.
“It has been a great privilege to work with HM Prison Peterborough on the creation of this new nativity scene. Their willingness to capture the essence of the Christmas story and to tackle a challenging site have been outstanding. Thousands of people visit the Cathedral for services and events in the weeks leading up to Christmas and we hope that this sculpture may prompt them to see the story afresh. We are especially grateful to Queensgate, without whom this project would not have happened,” said Canon Jonathan Baker, Acting Dean.
Wayne Peters, Head of Learning, Skills and Employment at HMP Peterborough said: “It has been a fantastic opportunity to build upon links with the community and the Cathedral. It is a project that the residents and staff have enjoyed being involved with. Hopefully we can work together on other projects to support the community in the future.”
At 4.30pm on Monday November 28, the Mayor of Peterborough, Cllr David Sanders officially unveiled the sculpture at an open public ceremony.
The sculpture was funded by a donation from Queensgate Shopping Centre. Mark Broadhead, Centre Director at Queensgate said; “We’re delighted to be supporting the Cathedral and HMP Peterborough in helping to bring a festive vision to fruition. I hope the sculpture helps to inspire people, young and old, to understand and remember the true meaning of Christmas.”
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