'Watershed: A River’s Call to Action' held it's preview event this week ahead of the launch in the North Transept of the Cathedral on Thursday 1 May. The exhibition is on until the 31 May  in the Cathedral.

On the evening artist Laura Dekker, Angela Mellen, and Liz Sergeant were joined by Fr Kevin Walton, Canon Chancellor to announce the launch of the exhibition. In attendance was also Nicholas Buxton (High Sheriff of Hertfordshire) and Kate Birss (Chair of the St Albans Cathedral Education Trust).

The exhibition is a powerful, large-scale interactive art installation hosted in the historic setting of St Albans Cathedral. Running throughout May, the exhibition is a creative response to the growing environmental crisis facing the UK’s rivers, with a particular focus on the River Ver.

This compelling installation draws attention to the vitality and vulnerability of our waterways, and specifically the pollution challenges plaguing the River Ver - a rare chalk stream severely impacted by untreated sewage discharge since November 2024.

The exhibition has been generously supported by the Christian Arts Trust and the Education Trust, Watershed invites visitors to engage with the ecological issues through art, dialogue, and community action.

A programme of related events around the exhibition includes:

• Community Litter Pick – Saturday 24 May, 9.30am–12.30pm
• A Watershed Debate: What Does the Future Hold for Our Waterways? – Wednesday 28 May, 7.30–8.30pm
• Family Discovery Morning – Thursday 29 May, 10am–12.30pm

Join us in witnessing the urgent call to protect our rivers.

Learn more about the exhibition here