More than 13,000 people visited an illuminated Earth artwork that has been in the Isle of Man as part of a world tour.
The six-metre diameter artwork ‘Gaia’ by Luke Jerram was on display at St Thomas’ Church in Douglas for three weeks. Visitors were encouraged to reflect on how humans treat the planet whilst gazing at the spinning artwork and listening to the accompanying 29-minute composition.
During its stay the church played host to a number of special events, including concerts with local musicians and choirs, a workshop with Ali Hodgson, Biopshere Artist in Residence, and a screening of ‘Wildlife Remembered’ with the Manx Wildlife Trust.
A series of ‘Climate Change Cafés’ were also held to provide a quiet and friendly space for people to share their feelings about the climate emergency, with all visitors to Gaia encouraged to make a pledge to commit to living more sustainably.
The visiting exhibit was a partnership by Net Zero Isle of Man, the Isle of Man Arts Council and headline sponsors Ørsted, and meets a key deliverable action in the Climate Change Plan 2022–2027 – to develop awareness and educational campaigns to help ensure people understand the climate emergency, reduce climate anxiety and empower positive action.
John Galloway, Development Director for Ørsted in the Isle of Man said:
‘We’re delighted that so many people on the Island came along and shared this special moment. The Gaia installation marked an important opportunity for everybody to see the delicate nature of our planet and the fact we all have a responsibility to take action to protect it. The continued transition from fossil fuels to clean energy has never been more crucial and we’re committed supporting this in the Island with our plans for the first offshore wind farm in Manx territorial waters.’
Reverend Liz Hull from St Thomas’ Church said:
‘It’s been fantastic welcoming so many people into the Church. We have had the help of over 40 volunteers, some from church and environmental backgrounds. We’ve also had many school visits and children through who have written some really poignant things about the Earth. It’s their heritage we need to protect.’
Aly Lewin, Head of the Climate Change Transformation Team, said:
‘This has been a great success story and community event. It has showed although we are a small Island we all need to come together and do our part to help with climate change, nature loss and biodiversity loss. By each of us playing a small part, we can form a greater collective.
‘I would like to extend my thanks to all the visitors who came along to experience Gaia, the volunteers and officers who helped arrange it, and our sponsorship partners who made it possible.’
For further information about climate action, visit the Net Zero website.
