Cathedral exhibition charts rise of jungle

A cathedral is hosting an exhibition continuing the story of a city's importance to the rave music scene three decades ago.

The Drugs Don't Work at Coventry Cathedral charts the rise of jungle music locally and its importance to worldwide dance music culture.

Director Adrian Dowling said the immersive event was the third instalment in a trilogy of electronic dance music exhibitions.

"It's very unconventional but it's educational and it's important we talk about these things," he said.

The free event follows on from the House is a Feeling exhibition in the city's former Ikea building three years ago.

"We document the first jungle music night ever to happen outside of London - that happened at the Edge Club [in Coventry] in December 1993," Mr Dowling said.

"Throughout the world, everyone knows that's where the scene took off."

Attendees can watch a film narrated by Coventry MC Mann Parris about his "descent into drug use" and subsequent redemption.

Another piece of work, Teenage Wasteland, documents 30 years of illegal substances in the city base on real life accounts.

"We've also given it that Coventry working class sense of humour as well," Mr Dowling added.

He said visitors would be able to explore the films and soundscapes in parts of the cathedral basement never previously opened to the public, to the accompaniment of lasers, holograms and UV lights.

The Daylight Robbery production from Reflection Media and Art opens to the public at 19:00 BST on Friday and also runs from 11:00 to 21:00 on Saturday.

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