Sacred was the British Library’s most successful exhibition to date, attracting over 200,000 visitors during its five month run. The exhibition, which was open at the British Library’s St Pancras site from 27 April – 23 September 2007, brought together some of the world’s most important and beautiful religious texts for the first time. Exquisite and rare examples of Jewish, Christian and Muslim sacred texts from the Library’s collections were presented alongside treasures on loan from other institutions in a unique and compelling modern context.

 

The British Library has since developed Sacred on Location, a unique and engaging touring programme provided in partnership with museums, libraries and heritage organisations. It will bring activities inspired by Sacred and based around the theme of faith, to a wider audience. The tour is funded by DCMS and Communities and Local Government.

 

The Sacred installation at Central Lending Library comprises a number of display panels, an interactive showing the British Library’s award winning Turning the Pages™ technology, which enables visitors to virtually leaf through some of the Library’s greatest treasures, and an IMAC containing the interactive "wheel" developed by the Library's Learning team for the exhibition at St Pancras, allowing users to explore information about customs and rituals from the three faiths featured in the original exhibition: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

 

The touring programme will include various special events such as multi-faith workshops for primary and secondary school groups exploring faith, identity and belief, as well as story-telling and crafts activities for family and community groups. The programme aims to provide participants with a space in which to come together and contemplate faith and what it means to different people. The programme of activities is designed to appeal to everybody, both those of faith and those who have no religious belief. All activities are free of charge.

 

For more information on the programme and activities or to book a school visit, please contact Ruksana Jagot on 0116 299 5448 / 299 5402 or email ruksana.jagot@leicester.gov.uk