Imaging the Story: rediscovering the visual and poetic contours of salvation, written by Gill Sakakini and Karen Case-Green, is a 4-day summer school course that took place in a pop-up art space, Create@#8, in Shepton Mallet in early July. Participants explored God's story, partly through lecture, reflection, and individual and collaborative hands-on making.
Revd Gill Sakakini, Pioneer Priest in the Arts in the Church of England (in the benefice of St Peter and St Paul’s Shepton Mallet with Doulting and Cranmore), led the summer school. She said, “The course unpacks a theology of making; to what extent can God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit be known, and how, through this thinking? Participants journey through the story: creation, crisis, calling, conception, coming, cross and come back, charisma, church, community, and consummation.”
The 26 participants, of all ages and backgrounds, came from all over the country. Of their varied reasons for coming, Gill said, “Some were art practitioners, some curious about the intersection between art and faith, some wishing to lead ‘Imaging the Story’ in their context, and some were involved in pioneer activities in Shepton Mallet.”
The course opened up new avenues for their exploration of God's story. “People spoke of being grateful for permission to create and be more playful and experimental with art, which helped them enter parts of the story differently. Paintings opened up different ways of encountering the gospel afresh and defamiliarised well-known parts of the story. People were inspired to incorporate some of the approaches into their spiritual life and discipleship, and how they want to continue to share what they experienced with others.”
As aids to the process, “various approaches to exploring biblical texts were offered such as 'viso divina' and investigating words in a passage through collage and paint, and through the lens of art history.”
The summer school took place in the heart of the local community, on the High Street in Shepton Mallet, where passers-by were given the opportunity to see the work. Lunches were made and delivered by a local cafe, Sweet 11, that had hosted previous arts pioneer work. One morning the course took place outdoors in Collett Park, where participants joined with another pioneer project, 'Drawing On', sharing conversation, art-making and vision. Gill said, “People from afar visited Shepton Mallet, which is becoming a significant choice of location for artists. The course contributed to an unfolding vision of Shepton Mallet as a place of innovation for ‘art+faith’, on the heels of a CMS Pioneer gathering this spring, and a locus for work experience and shadowing for curates, ordinands, and others seeking to learn about ministry and discipleship through the arts.” Gill feels the course has fostered “a sense of commitment and movement towards an emerging new Christian Community through the arts in Shepton Mallet."
At the end of the course, each participant was invited to create a piece in response to an aspect of God’s story and in October/November there will be an exhibition of these pieces, which will be open to the public.
The next 'Imaging the Story' course will take place in spring 2024.
For more information contact Gill at email:revgill.sheptonmallet@gmail.com.