Day-long faith event for Coventry, City of Culture

A 24-hour programme of theatre, music and art will celebrate faith within Coventry, the City of Culture.

The event - which has Faith as its title - will see theatre productions transferring to the streets and a city centre becoming a "tapestry of lights".

Designer Tom Piper, who created the poppy memorial at the Tower of London, will also create a "visual representation" of the ties between faith groups.

Tickets will go on sale next month.

Coventry City of Culture Trust and the Royal Shakespeare Company are working in collaboration with City Voices - a personal history project - on the event, which will take place between 10 and 11 September.

Under the programme, Tom Piper's component will see Coventry's places of worship tied together with blue ribbons, "creating a beautiful temporary tapestry through the city". City-based composer Sayan Kent will create an original score to accompany the project.

The event is set to end with a ceremony in which people will be invited to Millennium Square to light one of 500 flames to create a city-centre "tapestry of lights".

Tickets for the theatre performances are free but are only available via pre-booking on 20 August, with general availability registration on 27 August.

Erica Whyman, director of Faith, and deputy artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, said: "As we come through one of the most testing times in our lifetimes, Faith is a moment to acknowledge our losses, see and respect our differences and celebrate our resilience as we find ways to go forward in hope."

Chenine Bhathena, creative director of Coventry, City of Culture, said: "We can't wait for visitors to immerse themselves in the rich cultural heritage of Coventry, a proud interfaith city of peace and reconciliation."

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