More than 55,000 visits were made to the Laing Art Gallery during the 11-week run of the Lindisfarne Gospels exhibition taking place between September and December.
In total, 56,663 people visited the gallery, 23% of which were first timers, to see arguably the most spectacular surviving manuscript from early medieval Britain showcased alongside work from the Turner-Prize winning artist Jeremy Deller. It was the first time that the book had been on display in Newcastle since 2000, and its first time back in the North East since it was displayed in Durham Cathedral in 2013.
The exhibition aimed to explore the meaning to the Gospels in a 21st century context, exploring its relationship with themes of personal, regional and national identity. Alongside the gallery exhibition, a schools programme was launched with pupils from across the North East visiting the exhibition, as well as the Great North Museum: Hancock, Newcastle City Library and Newcastle Cathedral.
