Six months on from the shock of the nerve agent attack on the Skripals, the people of Salisbury are attempting to use the power of the arts to reclaim the streets, work through the trauma of the assault and draw visitors back to the cathedral city.

Over the bank holiday weekend, a festival of arts events has been taking place across the city, ranging from craft demonstrations close to the bench where the former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia collapsed, to a community opera involving more than 100 local amateur singers that has sold out, suggesting people are confident about venturing back.

More events and exhibitions are being planned for the autumn, winter and new year that will reflect on the atrocity, and community leaders are beginning to think about whether permanent memorials should eventually be put in place.

Artist Michael Pendry adds a white origami dove to his art installation, Les Colombes, which is installed at Salisbury cathedral in Salisbury. Photograph: Matt Cardy/Getty Images

Gareth Machin, the artistic director of the newly formed arts organisation Wiltshire Creative, said this weekend’s ‘Lift Off!’ festival was partly about reclaiming areas affected by the attack on the Skripals and the subsequent poisoning of Dawn Sturgess and Charlie Rowley, who were both also poisoned by novichok.

“Events like this can be part of the recovery,” he said. “It’s about people coming into the city, enjoying spaces that were affected. In the longer term I hope artists will be able to work with the wider community on how we reflect on what happened.

“It has had a huge economic and psychological impact. We will find ways to process it and reflect on it and ultimately move on from it. Art and culture will help the city move on in a deeper way.”



Personnel in hazmat suits securing a tent covering a bench in the Maltings shopping centre in Salisbury. Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PA

This weekend’s festival includes music, fireworks, exhibitions, and an art trail. Textile artist Sarah Waters, who is running a felting workshop in the Maltings shopping centre close to the Skripal bench, said the festival was perfectly timed.

“It shows the world how important the arts are to the city and that despite recent events the community (and many visitors) still want to come together in celebration.

“By running a hands-on felting workshop, people can come together, learn an ancient craft and embrace the arts. Salisbury is reflecting the ethos of the Edinburgh international festival, which was created as a healing balm after the second world war.”

Alison Harper, who makes art out of discarded crisp packets, was also booked to appear in the Maltings. “I do believe that an event such as this will help in the reparation of community confidence and connection, and that in forging a reconnection with creative activities and cultural events, this will make us look anew at and reassess what we have, and what we take for granted on a daily basis,” she said. “Participating creatively, or watching others do so, can reignite a sense of community and connection.”

An installation of more than 2,500 paper doves suspended over the cathedral nave has already become one of the symbols of recovery. Les Columbes by Michael Pendry was planned before the Skripal attack but the cathedral quickly realised that if it adapted and extended the exhibition it could help.

This weekend is your last opportunity to see Michael Pendry's #LesColombes exhibition. We will be so sad to see the doves go - they have been admired by so many and have inspired a wonderful show of unity in #Salisbury. #SalisburyCityOfDoves #LoveSalisbury pic.twitter.com/10yh7XXhwd — Salisbury Cathedral (@SalisburyCath) July 21, 2018

Though the exhibition is over, doves have migrated from the cathedral and can be spotted in windows of shops and houses across the city. Doves also appear in an installation of umbrellas that hover above the high street arranged by the business organisation Salisbury BID.

Jane Morgan, director of communications and development at the cathedral, said: “Art articulates all sorts of different emotions, feelings and ideas. It’s like community glue.”

A dramatic light sculpture is planned for Christmas. “The cathedral is looking to see how we can use the building and the space we have to say something about the city and to help the city get back on its feet.”

The Young Gallery, which is on the other side of the River Avon from the Skripal bench, has already planned two shows in response to the incident. In November it will explore the theme of “consequences” through exhibitions looking at war and, it hopes, the collapse of the Soviet Union. Next March, to tie in with the anniversary of the attack, the gallery is planning to work with Locust Jones, the New Zealander whose main inspiration is the daily news.

Peter Riley, the curator of the gallery, said the incident could help the city re-define what it offers to visitors.

“My view is Salisbury should capitalise on the Skripal incident as much as possible, to become a major cultural destination, not minor. Now is the time to survey, assess, consider, exploit all our resources to enhance this city; its architecture, collections, activities and develop a new cultural vision separate and distinct from Bath.”

A centrepiece of this weekend’s event has been a community opera called Push written by the Salisbury-based, internationally renowned composer Howard Moody, and performed at St Thomas’s church.

More than 100 singers were joined by professional soloists and musicians to tell the story of Simon Gronowski, who was pushed by his mother from a train bound for Auschwitz in 1943 and survived.

One of the chorus members, Clare Hatcher, said: “It’s been very difficult for a lot businesses here. We need to get the message across that things have settled down. Hopefully cultural events can help. The cultural scene is the beating heart of this city.”