Showcase | St John's Cathedral

Challenge

To generate a greater understanding of Norwich's history, the virtual recreation of 12 of the city's historical buildings aims to reach an audience that may not normally be interested in heritage.

The latest film, detailing the history of The Cathedral of St John the Baptist, uses innovative technology to generate interest and understanding of the city's history. Virtual reality modelling is used to recreate 'avatar' characters and animated versions of the Norwich 12 buildings that allow viewers to 'fly around' the heritage sites.

Solution

The film brings characters from the Cathedral's past to life to tell the story of the Norwich 12 building's history. The animation tells the building's story using the characters of Jim Flood, a stonemason during the building's 19th century construction, and Henry Fitzalan Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk, whose idea it was to build the Cathedral. Frank Devany and Jack Richardson provided the voices of Jim Flood and the Duke of Norfolk respectively.

Creation of the animated films forms part of HEART's SHAPING 24 project, a cultural heritage and tourism initiative which takes forward the Norwich 12 project with 12 heritage sites in the Belgian city of Ghent. The films link in with other areas of the project which aim to maximize the access and enjoyment of the 24 outstanding heritage sites through site improvements, volunteer training, improved signage and promotion, events and education activities.

Result

Michael Loveday, Chief Executive of Norwich HEART, said: "These films are a great way of communicating the history of the Norwich 12 buildings to an audience that may not normally be interested in heritage. They combine stunning animation with history and an element of humour to create something greatly innovative and accessible to all."

The film can be seen in the Narthex at The Cathedral of St John the Baptist and is also available on the Norwich 12 website at www.norwich12.co.uk.