Sanctuary (Artichoke | Imagineer), Nuneaton & Bedworth
May 21, 2022 - May 28, 2022

Built to Burn. Designed to Heal.

An extraordinary artwork by David Best.

In May 2022, a temporary commemorative public artwork will come to Nuneaton & Bedworth.

Sanctuary will offer a moment to remember our loved ones and act as a beacon of hope to mark the rebirth, recovery and regeneration of the whole community.

Produced by Artichoke, in association with Imagineer Productions

Supported by Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council, Warwickshire County Council and DCMS Culture Recovery Fund.


In May 2022, a unique public memorial will be built in Nuneaton & Bedworth, birthplace of George Eliot and home to the country’s largest Armistice Day Parade. Sanctuary will stand as an unforgettable temporary structure and space of healing, built by the local community to commemorate the nation’s loss during Covid. Artichoke, the UK’s leading producers of extraordinary live events, will bring their unique approach to public art to the region, inviting people to come together in the spirit of remembrance and hope.

Delivered in association with Coventry-based company Imagineer, the producers are calling for local people who want to get involved, meet new people and learn new skills, both for the build and for the event itself. Sanctuary will bring people together from across the area and provide opportunities for employment and training, working through community groups and local partners.

Through Artichoke’s continuing partnership with American artist David Best, local people will work with Best and his crew to build an intricately carved wooden structure in the Miners’ Welfare Park in Bedworth, ”the town that never forgets”. Best is known for his soaring temples, built at Burning Man and elsewhere, quiet places for contemplation and reconciliation. Sanctuary will stand open to all for seven days from 21-28 May, offering a space to remember those we have lost and everyone impacted by Covid. A spectacular finale event on Saturday 28 May will cement Sanctuary as a beacon of hope to mark the rebirth, recovery and regeneration of the whole community.

In May 2022, a unique public memorial will be built in Nuneaton & Bedworth, birthplace of George Eliot and home to the country’s largest Armistice Day Parade. Sanctuary will stand as an unforgettable temporary structure and space of healing, built by the local community to commemorate the nation’s loss during Covid. Artichoke, the UK’s leading producers of extraordinary live events, will bring their unique approach to public art to the region, inviting people to come together in the spirit of remembrance and hope.

Delivered in association with Coventry-based company Imagineer, the producers are calling for local people who want to get involved, meet new people and learn new skills, both for the build and for the event itself. Sanctuary will bring people together from across the area and provide opportunities for employment and training, working through community groups and local partners.

Through Artichoke’s continuing partnership with American artist David Best, local people will work with Best and his crew to build an intricately carved wooden structure in the Miners’ Welfare Park in Bedworth, ”the town that never forgets”. Best is known for his soaring temples, built at Burning Man and elsewhere, quiet places for contemplation and reconciliation. Sanctuary will stand open to all for seven days from 21-28 May, offering a space to remember those we have lost and everyone impacted by Covid. A spectacular finale event on Saturday 28 May will cement Sanctuary as a beacon of hope to mark the rebirth, recovery and regeneration of the whole community.