St. Luke’s Church, which can be viewed from Bold Street, aptly stands bold at the top of the street after being badly damaged during the Liverpool blitz in 1941.
It is now known as the ‘bombed-out church’ and stands as a memorial for those who lost their lives. St Luke’s Church was one of the casualties of the eight nights of intense bombing, being hit by an incendiary bomb on May 6, 1941. Out of the despair came hope and 75 years on it’s still standing.
Now the city council has commissioned ‘Out of the Darkness’, a free sound and light display featuring projections, dramatic archive footage and images from the time, and a soundscape which will re-create the noises of those nights of bombing. Meanwhile thousands of unique stained-glass lanterns created by schools and community groups across Liverpool will be lit and will illuminate the inside and outside of the building on each of the three nights of the show.
The bombed out church is a true icon for the city and is a beloved building to everyone. Out of The Darkness will be a spectacular and emotive illumination which will offer the people of Liverpool the chance to reflect on those tragic events and the resilience our city showed in the preservation of freedom. A true Liverpool story that will offer a sad, yet incredible insight into a bygone time we can’t even fathom. Outside of London, this area suffered one of the heaviest numbers of casualties in the UK and the thought-provoking piece hopes to capture the turbulence of that time for the city and help people reflect on the resilience shown.
The event will be taking place from May 6th-8th from 9-10pm and the lanterns will be lit from 8pm onwards. Go witness some history.