From 2-20 February 2024, visitors can wonder at Luke Jerram’s very special Earth exhibition, Gaia, at Tewkesbury Abbey, accompanied with a surround sound composition by BAFTA award-winning Dan Jones.

Gaia, named after Greek Mythology’s Goddess of Earth and mother of life, is the headline event of the inaugural Two Rivers Converge Festival taking place this February and delivered by a pioneering collaboration between The Roses and Tewkesbury Culture.

The festival promises to connect creativity, heritage and nature through events at venues around Tewkesbury, with Gaia taking centre stage at Tewkesbury Abbey.

Gaia provides visitors with the opportunity to experience the overview effect and see the Earth in 3D at a grand scale, measuring seven metres in diameter and featuring detailed NASA imagery of the Earth’s surface.

The overview effect was first described by author Frank White in 1987 as a profound understanding of the interconnection of all life and a renewed sense of responsibility for taking care of the environment.

Bristol based, Luke Jerram, creates artworks that inspire communities to recognise often challenging concepts. With many of his latest artworks, including Gaia, Oil Fountain and This Way Forward, Jerram has been using his skills in visual communication to draw attention to planetary health.

With this in mind, Jerram designed his floating Earth artwork to prompt difficult discussions we all need to have about climate change and what we, as individuals and wider society, can do to make our lifestyles more sustainable.

The Vicar of Tewkesbury Abbey, Canon Nick Davies, said, “We’re really excited to be hosting Gaia. We live on a fragile planet facing a climate emergency and I hope that this event will give tens of thousands of people the opportunity to marvel at the beauty of the earth. Floating in the Abbey, this globe offers us a new perspective on our planet and see it as the sacred place it is.”

Director of The Roses, Jessica Brewster, said, “Tewkesbury is one of most exciting areas in the UK: it has the fastest growing population in the UK and one of the country’s largest projects of urban development; it’s a national hub of tech and engineering innovation; and has world-class heritage and nature. It is also the UK’s poster child for climate change, famous for its floods and the impact of extreme weather, it’s a test subject for how humanity can respond creatively to massive global change. Two Rivers Converge is an artistic and cultural response to these conditions, using Tewkesbury’s heritage as the canvas for art that inspires change and celebrates the resilience and creativity of local community.”

Alongside Gaia, you can enjoy specially-curated events in heritage locations across Tewkesbury this February: a comedy night for Climate Chaos at The Roses, with nationally touring comedians taking on this complex subject; a new half-term family heritage trail exploring Tewkesbury’s unique high street; and atmospheric choral recitals alongside Gaia at Tewkesbury Abbey.

Discover more and book your place: rosestheatre.org/two-rivers-converge