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David Hart began the Poetry Workshops when he was Poet in Residence at the Cathedral in 1998-1999.

He has been leading gatherings of poets in the Cathedral ever since, working on a variety of ideas leading to public readings in the crypt and to a published book.

During 2000-1, the poets responded to writings in some way associated with the Cathedral.

These included Psalm 130 - 'Out of the deep' - in many translations and versions, the 10th century copy of the 'The Art of Poetry' in the Cathedral Library, and Dom Murray's setting of the Gloria for congregational singing.

In 2002, poetry work was done on number and colour, the final colour workshop being also a celebration of the Chapter House, in which the workshops had happened until it was closed for renovation.

David Hart said "During 2003, meeting elsewhere in the Cathedral, the poets worked in response to maps and ideas related to mapping, not least on notions of locating themselves in poetry.

"It is this work that will form the basis of the March 2004 exhibition, along with visual responses to some of the poems from inside and outside the workshop".

Poets come to the workshops from Worcester and the County, and from much further afield, Gloucestershire, Shropshire, Birmingham and beyond.

The Dean of Worcester, The Very Reverend Peter Marshall said "I am greatly looking forward to this exhibition that I know will feed and inspire us for new perspectives in our lives.

"Poetry has that ability, of all art, to engage all the emotions and give voice from the agony to the ecstasy of things both seen and unseen.

"This exhibition may help to find ourselves in a better place than ever before."