Run with the Fire in Harlow

The Run with the Fire digital exhibition on Olympic/Pentecost themes can be viewed on Saturday 25th May, 10.00am – 5.00pm, at St Paul’s Harlow (College Sq, Harlow CM20 1LP). This viewing is part of the Arts Festival for the Barking Episcopal Area and the Heart 4 Harlow Festival. 

The day's events also include lectures on the ‘Christ in the Wilderness’ paintings of Stanley Spencer by Bishop Stephen Cottrell (10.30am) and on John Piper by Mark Lewis (11.45am). Refreshments are available from 10.00am. 

A Photographic Exhibition by Harlow Seniors Photographic Group can also be viewed. This exhibition will be at the church from Wednesday 22nd May - Wednesday 5th June (except Sundays), Weekdays 10am - 12noon, Saturdays, 10am – 5pm. 

Other events which feature in the Festivals include:

commission4mission will be creating a pop-up gallery at 20 Broadwalk in Harlow Town Centre. The exhibition will be open from Thursday 23^rd – Monday 27^th May, 10.00am – 4.00pm and a lunchtime reception will be held on Saturday 25^th May from 1.00 – 3.00pm.

Heart 4 Harlow Festival Launch – Thursday 23rd May, 6pm, Water Gardens Harlow CM20 1WG. Launch by the Chair of Council Maggie Hulcoop & a Beatles tribute band.

 
Schools Art - Weekdays 9am - 4.45pm, Gibberd Gallery, The Water Gardens, College Square, Harlow CM20 1WG. Artwork by local schoolchildren.

Korban – Friday 24th & Saturday 25th May, 7.30pm, Harlow Playhouse, Playhouse Square, Harlow CM20 1LS. From the producer of the critically acclaimed 2011 Private Peaceful comes an original telling of the life of Jesus, with drama, dance and music. A large cast of actors and musicians deliver a newly envisioned portrayal of the revolutionary's remarkable story.

Village Fair of visual arts – Saturday 25th May, Water Gardens Harlow. Organised by the Harlow Arts Council as the beginning of their month long Art Festival. 

Live stage entertainment – Saturday 25th May, Water Gardens Harlow. Featuring local bands, choirs, soloists & dancers. Plus Charity Stalls in Broad Walk, Children’s Fun Fair in the Market Square & Open Week – end at the LeisureZone.

Flower Festival – Saturday 25th May, 10am onwards, St Mary’s Church, Hatfield Broad Oak CM22 7HG . Includes: Celebrity grand opening (10am); Car boot sale (am); Farmers’ market (am); Hog roast; School choir singing (11am); Parachuting teddies (11.30am); Dog show (1pm pedigree classes, 3pm novelty classes); Variety of stalls; Wood turners; Activities with artist in residence Pauline Brakspear; and Children’s activities.

Big Lunch & Community Praise – Sunday 26th May, Various Harlow Town Centre venues. Bouncy castle and Games from 12.15. Lunch from 1 pm. 

Flower Festival – Sunday 26th May, afternoon only, St Mary’s Church, Hatfield Broad Oak. Includes: Festival lunch in the marquee (tickets can be purchased in advance, tel 01279 718281); Afternoon tea and cakes; Organ music (church is open from 2pm); Art exhibition and sale. 

Flower Festival – Monday 27th May, 10am onwards, St Mary’s Church, Hatfield Broad Oak. Includes: 10km road race (11am) (to register, visit www.hbo-10k.org.uk); Children’s 1 mile fun run (12.30pm); Barbecue (with pre-race bacon butties); Crafts market; Wood turners; Variety of stalls; Activities with artist in residence Pauline Brakspear; Harlow Falconry display; Kung fu demonstration; Children’s activities; Grand raffle draw (pm). 

On Monday 27^th May Colin Burns and Jonathan Evens will be contributing music and poetry to a performance evening at Holy Trinity Hatfield Heath which will also include music from the six churches and poetry from Jane Grell, Mal Grosch and Jenny Houghton.

The Barking Episcopal Area Arts Festival is an initiative which began in 2011 and involves quality events from a variety of Arts genre as a way of embracing and celebrating performing and visual arts and engaging with the local communities, their people and arts culture. The Festival is organised annually but in a different part of the Episcopal Area each year and in parallel with an already established community arts festival within the Area. This third Festival runs parallel to the Heart 4 Harlow Festival. 

Run with the Fire in Sacramento

First Baptist Church of Sacramento along with C.A.N.A. (Christians Arts Networking Association) are presenting RUN WITH THE FIRE, a digital display of international artwork along with examples of local art on May 11 at 6pm and May 12 at 10:30am.

Steve Scott, of CANA, writes:

"RUN WITH THE FIRE is a mixed format and mixed media art exhibit combining international art digitally displayed along with (stellar!!) local artworks on the walls of the beautiful and historic First Baptist Church of Sacramento at 2324 L street , Sacramento CA 95816.

RUN WITH THE FIRE opens at 6pm on May 11th and again at 10:30 AM on Sun the 12th (although, strictly, the walking around and looking at art won't begin til I've concluded my remarks about that splendid fellow Bezalel!!) please come on out and celebrate community, creativity and spirituality with us."

Olympic Big Draw

News of use made of the Run with the Fire digital exhibition continues to come in. The most recent information comes from St Gabriel's Aldersbrook who organised an Olympic Big Draw event.

Their Vicar, Fr. Martyn Hawkes, wrote that this was a fun experience with quite a few children coming along. He enjoyed the digital exhibition, which they bought in to provide some inspiration and additional material for the curious to see. It proved a good part of their Olympic activities over the summer and he was grateful for its production.

Festival showings of 'Run with the Fire'

The Run with the Fire digital art exhibition will be shown at two events in the Art Festival for the Barking Episcopal Area and the Woodford Festival.

A Celebration of Poetry will be held on Friday 12th October, 7.30pm, St Paul's Woodford Bridge, Cross Road, Woodford Green, Essex IG8 8BT. There is no admission charge and the evening will include local poets, published poets, musical/storytelling interludes and a showing of the 'Run with the Fire' Olympic-themed digital art exhibition. Among those reading their poetry are: Tim Cunningham, Jonathan Evens, Jane Grell, Malcolm Guite, Alan Hitching, and Jennifer Houghton.

commission4mission Art exhibition - Saturday 13th October, 10.00am - 7.30pm, The Atrium, All Saints Woodford Wells, Inmans Row, Woodford Green, IG8 0NHNo admission charge. Exhibition of art works by members of commission4mission, an arts organisation which aims to encourage churches to commission contemporary art. Includes the 'Run with the Fire' Olympic-themed digital art exhibition. This exhibition will include work by Jonathan Evens, Alan Hitching, Mark Lewis, Janet Roberts, Francesca Ross, Henry Shelton, Joy Rousell Stone and Peter Webb. This exhibition is being held prior to an evening concert at All Saints by the Meljon Singers (https://www.facebook.com/events/246345185469093/).

Click here for more information about other events in the Woodford Festival.

Summer Art Workshops

Here are photos from some of the summer creative workshops run at St Aubyn Devonport as part of the Run with the Fire project run by Army of Artists.

Oxfam donation

The 'Run with the Fire' project has recently been able to donate £229.89 to Oxfam.

For more than 60 years Oxfam has been turning donations such as ours into positive action which is transforming the lives of some of the world's poorest people.

Together Oxfam and their supporters have helped farming families to get more from their land, given children the chance to go to school, and ensured that opportunities are open to everyone - even the most vulnerable - in communities around the world. They've also campaigned for changes in policies, both locally and internationally, which will ensure that poor people's efforts are properly rewarded.

'Run with the Fire' poem

Run with the Fire

Stripped down - free of weights and encumberance -
muscles taught and trained, eyes on the prize -
on track, no turning back - forgetting what is behind,
straining toward what is ahead, winged feet
bearing tongues of flame - inextinguishable flickers
of hope, the torch passed on through generations,
message of victory - peace, goodwill to all.

How lovely are the feet - run red-raw, blistered
and calloused, dust-encrusted yet lithe as leopards
and fleet as foxes - which pound the mountains,
hills, valleys and plains, echoing through history
from Marathon to London via Jerusalem.

Jonathan Evens

'Run with the Fire' in California

Manuel Luz, Pastor of Creative Arts at Oak Hills Church, Folsom, California writes that the church is displaying the Run with the Fire digital exhibition "alongside of our children's Arts Camp gallery, which was themed around the Olympics this year. We will be presenting it through the duration of the Olympics." Run with the Fire can be seen in the church's Art&Soul Gallery. They write that "Oak Hills is pleased to be a part of this international event. We invite you to spend some time in our church lobby viewing the amazing works of Christian artists from around the world." To see photos from Oak Hills' children's Arts Camp click here.

Be touched by the presence of God

Army of Artist's Run with the Fire community art exhibition and creative workshops have been attracting local press coverage in the Plymouth Herald. Click here for the latest story, here for a profile of Anita Collins, and here for the original article about their initiative.

Joy Lawrence writes:

"This is my kind of art: beautiful, touching, stunning, understandable – eat your heart out Tate Modern! ...

If you want to be inspired, encouraged, uplifted, dare I say – touched by the presence of God, take a visit to the Run With The Fire Exhibition at St Aubyn's in Devonport."

More 'Run with the Fire' press coverage

There has been further press coverage of 'Run with the Fire' through interviews with Steve Scott.
An interview Steve gave to Church and Art Network, in which Run with the Fire is featured, is included in their latest e-bulletin as a case study.
Steve has also been interviewed about his wide ranging career in art, music and poetry, including his involvement with Run with the Fire, in the current edition of Down The Line magazine. Steve is a British writer, poet, and musician whose songs have been recorded by artists including the 77s and Larry Norman. His musical and spoken word projects include Love in the Western World, Lost Horizon, Magnificent Obsession, More Than a Dream, The Butterfly Effect, Empty Orchestra, We Dreamed That We Were Strangers, and Crossing the Boundaries, in conjunction with painter Gaylen Stewart. In 2012, his songs became available on MP3 format, coincident with the release of a limited edition CD, Emotional Tourist: A Steve Scott Retrospective. He writes and speaks often on the arts in the UK and US, and is the author of Like a House on Fire: Renewal of the Arts in a Post-modern Culture, The Boundaries, and Crying for a Vision and Other Essays: The Collected Steve Scott Vol. One. He holds an MA in global leadership.
Steve has some fascinating things to say in this interview which can be downloaded by clicking here.

Both are in addition to the Transpositions interview with Steve which we featured in an earlier post.  Click here to read this interview.

Transpositions interview with Steve Scott

Transpositions has today published an interview with Steve Scott about Run with the Fire. Designed to exhibit in churches, they say that Run with the Fire is an interesting synergistic example of what happens when art, culture, and the church come together. Click here to read the interview.

Opening Night: Army of Artists 'Run with the Fire'

Click here for photos from the great opening night of the Run with the Fire project by Army of Artists and here for details of further summer workshops. This Run with the Fire project is a community art exhibition with creative workshops. It is a creative response to two themes linked with the Olympics – Communities Connecting and Light being passed from one person to another.

Inflame exhibition photos

Sue Newman says:

"I visited the Inflame exhibition organised by the group Love Streatham on Saturday and was really impressed by the time and thought that had gone into the selection and layout of the artwork, which was by local school children and residents, as well as some artists from further afield. The Run with the Fire digital exhibition formed part of the display. It was great to see it in action."

Run with the Fire update

A Run with the Fire update is available from the Veritasse website, giving details of events in Streatham, London on Friday and Saturday this week and in Plymouth, Devon the following weekend.

Please visit the Veritasse homepage and click on the blog entry to download the newsletter, which includes some of the artwork from the Run with the Fire exhibition.

Click here: http://www.veritasse.co.uk/.

Colours of Life

On Saturday 26 May around 1,500 people gathered for Colours of Life, an assembly for the Diocese of Leicester which included the Run with the Fire digital exhibition.

With festival feel for all ages, there was plenty for people to see, listen to, explore and experience. At the heart of the day was an interactive journey through five gazebos, each of which featured actors revealing more of the good news at the heart of the Christian faith, together with activities to experience more of God’s love in Jesus Christ.

All this plus a range of excellent speakers, an 100ft inflatable noah’s ark, Velcro Olympics, Christian magician Steve Price, fire-eaters, stilt walkers and jugglers, Messy Church, sports coaching, the finals of sports races run in schools, drumming workshops, Gospel Choir, biblical storytelling with Open the Book, the Emmanuel Gospel Choir, a creative art area for all ages, Christian Aid’s Unfair Funfair looking at issues of justice in the world, chainsaw wood sculpting, New Zealand singer songwriter Rory Mallone playing live, reflective ‘Taize style’ Eucharist, ‘Run with the Fire’ art exhibition, children’s DVD room, interactive experience Breathe, a 24/7 prayer room, Evolve dance academy, and much more.

The day concluded with a ‘festival service’ which drew the various strands together, including the singing of a song specially written for Colours of Life by Revd Eleanor Jeans and which school children have been learning over recent months. Bishop Tim Stevens sent those present out with the challenge to live out God’s call to be a full part of the community that is the Kingdom of God.

Run with the Fire Community Art Exhibition and Creative Workshops

SATURDAY 14th JULY – 5th SEPTEMBER 2012   ST.AUBYN CHURCH  DEVONPORT (incorporating a public library & cafe)

Run with the Fire is an exciting arts project and exhibition engaging churches, schools and community groups across Plymouth.  The Olympic Games will be commencing this summer – a time of excitement and celebration. Two strong symbols are associated with the Olympic Games, which will be used as inspiration for this exhibition.

- The Olympic Games motto is ‘Higher, Faster, Stronger’ and the symbol is made up of 5 rings, each ring representing a continent connecting during the games.

- The Olympic Flame stands for peace, unity and friendship, which is spread as the flame is passed from one torch bearer to another. Lit in Greece, it then sets out on a 70 day Olympic Torch Relay, shining light on the whole of the UK.

Run with the Fire is a creative response to these symbols; celebrating the stories, faith and skills that we pass on from one generation to another, building relationships, embracing life and connecting different communities.

THE BRIEF – Each person or group will start this creative process at the same simple starting point – a hula hoop or a circular disc of some sort. You are invited to creatively transform this Olympic ring into a piece of art which we will then display together representing our many connections. You may want to work on this alone and/or make this a community piece. Think about what you are communicating, the skills you are developing, how you are feeling and what flame you are carrying. Words to inspire – Running with perseverance, training, good news, spurring each other on, hope, passion, flame, power, celebration, warmth, life, passing the baton on, focus, light, energy.  Ideas - You may want to use photography, weave, stitch, knit, use beads, wire, felt, stretch canvas over the hoop to paint on, collage or do calligraphy…
ESSENTIAL DETAILS – Each final piece will be displayed vertically – hung up or stood on the ground against a wall. It can be any size up to a maximum of 1.25 metres in diameter. And it needs to be evident that you have started with a hoop/ring of some sort! Please let us know if you are offering a piece toward Run with the Fire. If you’d like to take part but would rather work with others, then do let me know ASAP as I may be able to organise group workshops.

You can email us at info@armyofartists.co.uk or contact Anita on 07890 201856

Inflame

http://www.lovestreatham.org/Inflame

http://www.streathamfestival.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/Streatham-Festival-2012-Programme.pdf

'Run with the Fire' exhibition photos

Photographs of the 'Run with the Fire' exhibition at the Strand Gallery and of the Launch Night held tonight can be found by clicking here and here.

The Run with the Fire exhibition is at the Strand Gallery (32 John Adam Street, London WC2N 6BP) from 22nd - 27th May (11.00am - 6.00pm, Sunday 11.00am - 2.00pm), as part of the Pentecost Festival. Original work by commission4mission and invited artists complements the Run with the Fire digital exhibition (featuring the work of 25 international artists) to create a stimulating and exciting show with an eclectic mix of styles and media and exploring the broad theme of running life's race with passion and spirit.

Run with the Fire is an arts project for churches in the 2012 Olympics year organized by CANA, commission4mission and Veritasse based on the image of fire which links the Church’s Pentecost celebration with that of the Olympic runner. Run with the Fire aims to celebrate creativity, cultural exchange and hope for the future by providing a virtual exhibition of international artwork for use in Olympics-themed events organised by churches in 2012.

Run with the Fire provides a virtual exhibition of international artwork available on DVD, for display on large scale HD TV or monitor, or for projection using a digital projector. This digital exhibition can be presented as part of Olympics-themed events organised by churches in 2012 plus arts events or exhibitions organized by local churches. Copies of the Run with the Fire DVD can be purchased via http://www.veritasse.co.uk/cards-prints/most-popular/run-with-the-fire-dvd-pack/ or at the exhibition. A preview of the Run with the Fire digital exhibition can be seen at http://youtu.be/nFBGZDgFaw4, while for up-to-date news of the project see http://runwiththefire.blogspot.com/.

On Saturday 26th May there will be an additional programme of art talks and painting demonstrations:

• Painting demonstration – Harvey Bradley, ongoing throughout the day. See Harvey work on a painting and discuss his approach with him.

• The Spiritual Image in Modern Art - Mark Lewis, 11.30am. A broad overview of the spiritual impulse in the art forms of the modern world and their potential to turn our minds to higher things.
• Run with the Fire – Steve Scott, 12.30pm. A talk about the ‘Run with the Fire’ project and DVD.
• Stanley Spencer – A Visionary of our Time – Mark Lewis, 2.00pm. A talk which examines the life and work of one of Britain’s most renowned and eccentric 20th Century painters. The main themes include Spencer’s time as a war artist, and his extraordinary paintings which envision the Christian Gospels played out by the people in his beloved home town of Cookham.

• Praying with our eyes open – Glenn Lowcock, 3.00pm. A talk on using images as an aid to prayer.
• Emotional Tourist – Steve Scott, 4.00pm. What I am learning about art, life, spirituality, Trinity, and relational aesthetics from my travels in Bali and elsewhere.
• Christian influences on modern & contemporary art – Jonathan Evens, 5.00pm. A broad overview of modern and contemporary art and artists which engage with Christianity.

The event listing for the exhibition and launch night can be found at: http://www.pentecostfestival.co.uk/ai1ec_event/run-with-the-fire-exhibition/?instance_id=873. Directions to the gallery are at: https://www.proudonline.co.uk/contact.aspx.

Run with the Fire - Part 2

After the success of The Gathering Army of Artists are taking the Run with the Fire concept and running with it. This new project provides them with a timely opportunity to engage with each other and the Plymouth community once again. Here is their brief for Run with the Fire, a project packed with potential on many levels:

"Individuals, churches, schools and community groups are invited to take part in this creative project and exhibition. The Olympic Games will be commencing this summer - a time of excitement and celebration. Two strong symbols are associated with the Olympic Games, which will be used as inspiration for this exhibition.

The Olympic Games motto is ‘Higher, Faster, Stronger’ and the symbol is made up of 5 rings, each ring representing a continent connecting during the games.

The Olympic Flame stands for peace, unity and friendship, which is spread as the flame is passed from one torch bearer to another. Lit in Greece, it then sets out on a 70 day Olympic Torch Relay, shining light on the whole of the UK.

Run with the Fire is a creative response to these symbols; celebrating the stories, faith and skills that we pass on from one generation to another, building relationships, embracing life and connecting different communities.

Each person or group will start this creative process at the same simple starting point - a hula hoop or circular disc of some sort. You are invited to creatively transform this Olympic ring into a piece of art which we will then display together representing our many connections. You may want to work on this alone and/or make it a community piece. Think about what you are communicating, the skills you are developing, how you are feeling and what flame you are carrying. Words to inspire – Running with perseverance, training, good news, spurring each other on, hope, passion, flame, power, celebration, warmth, life, passing the baton on, focus, light, energy. Ideas - You may want to use photography, weave, stitch, knit, use beads, wire, felt, stretch canvas over the hoop to paint on, collage, or do calligraphy…

Each final piece will be displayed vertically - hung up or stood on the ground against a wall. It can be any size up to a maximum of 1.25 metres in diameter. And it needs to be evident that you have started with a hoop/circular disc of some sort!"

The project will result in an exhibition at St. Aubyn’s Church, Devonport (incorporating a public library and café) from Friday 13th July – September 2012.

Full line-up of 'Run with the Fire' exhibitors

Lilies by Miriam Kendrick

Refreshing by Rachel Watson

Christ over Creation by Ken James Ashby

Strange Flower by Christopher Clack

The final line-up of commission4mission and invited artists showing in the Run with the Fire exhibition at the Strand Gallery (32 John Adam Street, London WC2N 6BP) from 22nd - 27th May (11.00am - 6.00pm, Sunday 11.00am - 2.00pm), as part of the Pentecost Festival, includes Ken James Ashby, Harvey Bradley, Colin Burns, Christopher Clack, Jonathan Evens, Christine Garwood, Jim Insole, Miriam Kendrick, Glenn Lowcock, Bradley Lucas, Henry Shelton, Sergiy Shkanov, Joy Rousell Stone, Esther Tidy, Mike Thomas, Rachel Watson and Peter Webb.

Original work by the above artists will complement the Run with the Fire digital exhibition (featuring the work of 25 international artists) to create a stimulating and exciting show with an eclectic mix of styles and media and exploring the broad theme of running life's race with passion and spirit.

Run with the Fire is an arts project for churches in the 2012 Olympics year organized by CANA, commission4mission and Veritasse based on the image of fire which links the Church’s Pentecost celebration with that of the Olympic runner. Run with the Fire aims to celebrate creativity, cultural exchange and hope for the future by providing a virtual exhibition of international artwork for use in Olympics-themed events organised by churches in 2012.

Run with the Fire provides a virtual exhibition of international artwork available on DVD, for display on large scale HD TV or monitor, or for projection using a digital projector. This digital exhibition can be presented as part of Olympics-themed events organised by churches in 2012 plus arts events or exhibitions organized by local churches. Copies of the Run with the Fire DVD can be purchased via http://www.veritasse.co.uk/cards-prints/most-popular/run-with-the-fire-dvd-pack/ or at the exhibition. A preview of the Run with the Fire digital exhibition can be seen at http://youtu.be/nFBGZDgFaw4, while for up-to-date news of the project see http://runwiththefire.blogspot.com/.