The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd Justin Welby, is to launch a new augmented reality trail at Peterborough Cathedral on Wednesday 10th April.
The Archbishop, whose office dates back over 1400 years, will be joined by some young Cathedral visitors, who can help if he needs any advice on finding his way around the Cathedral using the app.
The trail has been made using the award-winning Gamar app, which has been used by some of London’s top attractions, including the British Museum and Madame Tussauds, as well as more locally by Belvoir Castle and Doddington Hall.
Visitors can download the free app to their mobile phone or tablet before they arrive, then explore the Cathedral using visual recognition to find the trail’s stops. Each stop triggers snippets of information about the history and purpose of the Cathedral, as well as augmented reality animations, ‘hands on’ games and puzzles. Look out for a leaping fish in the font, try your hand at playing a tune in the choir stalls, and rearrange Jesus and his disciples in a jigsaw of the Apse Chapel ceiling. The Victorian Gurney Stove heaters also feature as one of the stops.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who is on a visit to the Diocese of Peterborough from 8th – 10th April, said:
“Cathedrals are places of welcome for all sorts of people, so it’s wonderful to have a variety of ways in which they can get information and experience their visit. God has given us Cathedrals as places of fun, joy and good news. Cathedrals are places that do exciting, imaginative things, and I warmly welcome this innovative new way of helping people engage with sacred spaces and, ultimately, with Jesus Christ.”
The Very Revd Chris Dalliston, Dean of Peterborough, added:
“We are delighted that the Archbishop is able to launch our new app during his visit to the diocese. It is designed with a family audience in mind, but it is really for anyone who likes to reach for their phone, or to play a game, as a way to find things out. I’d encourage anyone to download it, then come along during the Easter holidays to give it a try. We’d love to have your feedback.”
To download the app, go to the Apple App Store or Google Play and search for ‘Gamar’. Then look for the ‘Peterborough Cathedral Trail’ to download (available from 10th April 2019). Once you have downloaded the trail, you are ready to come to the Cathedral and play. Free wi-fi is available at nearby Queensgate Shopping Centre and other nearby coffee shops and restaurants.
