Few visitors to a cathedral would expect to see a 26 metre long dinosaur in the nave – but that is just what has been pulling in the crowds keen to see the much loved 'Dippy the Diplodocus' from the Natural History Museum, London.
Canon Andy Bryant of Norwich Cathedral explained that the Natural History Museum had sent “Dippy” the dinosaur on a national tour, with the emphasis on education, after it had been removed from its original hall due to a reorganisation.
"The Bishop of Norwich is the Church of England lead for environmental issues. We put in a bid as the venue for the Eastern region on a three-fold basis – the relationship between faith and science, climate change and issues of food sustainability.”
Dippy (see photo) has been dominating the cathedral's nave all summer. Thousands of people have visited him, including more than 7,000 school children as part of an integrated schools programme. Visitors are encouraged to consider and engage with the issues surrounding Dippy - with giant dinosaur footprints and adjacent displays opening doors to further discussions - and there have also been reflective talks focusing on climate change and spiritual theology. Visitors have also been encouraged to make pledges for the planet and, to date, nearly 10,000 pledges have been made.
One of the most striking is a specially commissioned walk through sculpture of a giant wave shimmering with fish designed to encourage reflection on the regenerative power of the sea, and our dependence on healthy waters. Every part of the sculpture will eventually be recycled, with the fish being sold in aid of the Cathedral. The base of the sculpture leads visitors from a polluted seabed through to pristine prehistoric sands – school children have had to be stopped from removing the rubbish because they thought it shouldn’t be there. Visitors have been moved to tears.
Access to Dippy has been made as extensive as possible within the wider community, encouraging everyone to visit the cathedral.
“Our aim has been to extend the demographics of those who come to the cathedral," said Canon Andy Bryant. "We have had visually impaired groups, intergenerational sessions involving care homes and children at the same time, autism friendly sessions. We have built links with these groups and we intend to build on those links in future."
As Dippy’s departure from Norwich looms, the cathedral is intent on maximising community involvement.
“We are aiming to make our farewell to Dippy a big bang, attracting as many people as possible," said Canon Bryant. "People who have been here before, people who have not seen him yet, and people who can see him in new ways. We are planning to illuminate Dippy imaginatively in blue lights every evening during his last week.”