CONGREGATION is a new large-scale choral installation by Es Devlin, created in partnership with UK for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, the United Nations Refugee Agency’s national charity partner.

Rich with social meaning and impact, the installation features chalk and charcoal portraits of 50 Londoners that have experienced forced displacement from their homeland. Presented as a projection-mapped tiered sculpture, the work offers a luminous glimpse into some incredible lives and stories.

Stage One engineered and manufactured the set for this installation and were proud to support the project. 18mm birch plywood provided the canvas for the artwork, each individually printed and cut to shape to outline the character and profile of each portrait. The supporting structure was made from timber, the platform built using stage decks from stock.

Located in St Mary le Strand Church in Westminster, London, installation posed concerns; space, considering the installation was 8.6 metres at its widest point and the church interior just 10 metres; obstacles, the pulpit and pews that were fixed in place meaning the installation had to be fitted around them; and the presence of precious, high-value items such as the churches grand piano and organ, requiring the highest level of care and caution on site.

These constraints impacted the method of working, staggering progress to install one tier at a time, limiting the materials loaded onto the premises to only those for the tier being installed, and enabling each contractor to complete their works before moving down to the next tier.

CONGREGATION poses the simple yet raw question ‘where is home?’ and is a provocative and moving piece.