What the critics need to know about why we put graffiti on Canterbury Cathedral

I’ve had online accusations levelled at me of sacrilege, vandalism and a desperate attempt to appeal to the “yoof”. The cause?

Our temporary art installation “Hear Us”. It is the culmination of poet Alex Vellis and curator Jacquiline Creswell’s collaboration with marginalised communities and skilled artists to create responses to the question “What would you ask God?”.

It’s fair to say that public opinion has already been split by the way we’ve visually represented these questions as bold graffiti-style transfers on the Cathedral’s ancient stonework.

One visitor has reportedly said it looks like “an underground car park in Peckham,” while some English clergy have written on social media that it is “facile” or is “desecrating” the sacred space of the Cathedral.

Yet few would object to t