Who Wants to Be a Curator ?

Here's a link to an article about Curating I found in the NY times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/11/arts/11iht-rartcurating11.html

It's interesting that curating is becoming even more popular and that many prestigious Universities and Study Centres are offering students specialized degrees in curating.

What interests me is the idea of curating in relation to worship.
The article mentions that Curating offers a deeper involvement with the audience. I find that extremely interesting. In worship I believe that we are trying to get the 'audience' to have a deeper involvement.

A SatMix we use this idea to some extent. Using multi-media and discussion we endeavour to  stimulate a deeper 'worship' - getting further into the questions of faith and what it means to follow Jesus in our contemporary world.

A great book that explores Worship and Curating is Curating Worship by Johnny Baker.
See my post on Friday 18 March 2011 (Curating Worship)
Another book that I've been highly recommended is The Art of Curating Worship by Mark Pierson.

I think it's time to break from the worship leader/band at the front of the church leading the congregation. There are may be more relevant ways to stimulate 'worship'.

SatMix - The Other/l'Autre

Tomorrow at 7pm we are putting on a SatMix event where we will explore 'the Other' using a mix of multimedia, song, sketches and more...

It should be a great evening

Time - SatMix

We had a great evening last night at SatMix. The weather was awful - it had snowed and it was very cold - so my initial  thoughts were "nobody's going to come we can always put the event on it next month" - oh man of little faith! we got a good turn out and some new faces.

I took my camera but unfortunately it didn't leave its case - I was fully involved in the event so I forgot to take some pictures. (So no photo for the blog - sorry about that).

The evening certainly stimulated thought on 'time' -for me  in particularly the concept of living in the present -Meister Eckhart said "There exists only the present instant ... There is no yesterday nor any tomorrow, but only Now ... " 


We used more visuals than our Advent Event (which was a real stripped down evening) - the World Clock was projected throughout, we used poems, quotes and clips from 'Time Machine', and yes we used the Pink Floyd classic 'Time'...
tick tock tick tock...


 

Time

Tomorrow we are putting on another SatMix event in Lille.
The theme is Time/le Temps. I'm looking forward to it. We've come up with some neat ideas. I've enjoyed working on the project. Hopefully the evening will stimulate thought on Time ...

Peacemaker - SatMix

On Saturday evening we held our last Satmix before the Summer break.

The theme was Peacemaker and yes the evening was the less stressful

we've organized...

we installed loungers and bean bags to allow folks to sit/or lay relaxed

while we meditated on Scripture.

We were also challenged as to what it means to be a peacemaker;

and how to live 'in peace'....

A great evening :)

SAtMix Peacemaker

SatMix tonight:)

VivreRevire

had a great SatMix evening on the theme 'vivre Revivre' Live Live Again'...

we used music (Pascal Touzet, Tim Hughes, Foo Fighters), video on crazy flowers growing and flowering to electronic music, testimony from Jackie of how God supported her through her treatment for cancer...

we reflected on those things that prevent us entering into Life...

we had the opportunity to place our 'concerns' at the foot of the tree of Life and symbolically enter into LIFE...

May we enter into LIFE!

SatMix Vivre Revivre

looking forward to our second SatMix - Vivre Revivre -

i'm excited about it, it's been fun (and demanding);

but as i'm working in an enthusiastic team it's a real pleasure.

SOIREE TERRE

on saturday evening we organized a soirée terre...

we were given a block of clay...France read Psalm 39.

we then created something from the inspiration of the psalm,

by the sound of background mediative music

it was the first time that i'd experience this.

I found it both enriching and stimulating.

a great evening.

SEEING IS BELIEVING ?

last night we hosted our first SatMix happening -

Seeing is Believing ?

On the whole it was encouraging.

People entered the building through a darkened

area - then invited to visit 4 'mini' stations; optical illusions, a mirror that deformed your reflection, images from artist EM Eischer, words with 2 meanings and a branch with spectacles hanging from it (see photo)...

we had a questionnaire about beliefs and discussion in small groups.

to illustrate the theme of Seeing is believing? we listened

to Walk On (U2) and watched a clip from Indiana Jones

(a leap of faith - the invisible bridge)...we also acted out

3 sketches.

The 'jingle' was 'Seeing is Believing' by french electronic

duo Scratch Massive.

We finished the evening with drink, fruit pizza, carrot

cake and chocolate & courgette cake (yes chocolate

& courgette) yum yum.

CURATING WORSHIP -Jonny Baker

For those who are interested in the Alternative Worship scene and in particularly those who want to get started this book is for you.

In part 1 Jonny looks at the developing phenomenon of curating in the art world and how for can appropriate this craft in helping to set up worship events.

Lik the art curator the worship curator imagines a world and then creates a universe in which folk can enter and experience her world.

The art curator imagines and oversees the exhibition. She works with an artist or groups of artists, she decides which pieces to display and arranges them in the spaces.

The public visit the exhibition and (hopefully) engage with the pieces. There are often moments of epiphany, delight, provocation, questions are evoked and the artist's work is appreciated.

Jonny points out the parallels in worship curating. First we may need to question our approach to worship leading. The curator is not upfront as the 'charismatic/mega church model with a guitar and microphone and the traditional liturgical/priest church model; the curator is behind the scenes.

The curator is no lone ranger but works in team. She encourages and stimulates creativity, bringing out the artistic talents of the team.

The 'Worship event' is primarily participational (the creative team & the public/worshippers) and also multiply layered (using different media such as video, stations, liturgy...).

In the 2nd part of the book there are several fascinating interviews with varied practitioners from the alternative worship movement.

Here's some quotes from the book:

"(The)curator...allows others to bring and interpret the content without control"

"Curators...present a view of the world and a message to others outside that world".

"The most important thing about curating is to do with enthusiasm and love with a little obsession"

"In art and worship people want moments of epiphany where connection is made, where the soul is moved, the presence of God is sensed, as opposed to just thinking that that was a nice set of ideas we explored at some rational level".

If you are simply interested in learning more about Alternative Worship or you want to move from theory to practice this book will surely be an inspiration and a valuable resource.

SATMIX - Seeing is Believing?

the 'happening' is programmed...

the word is out...

Saturday 19 March...

Seeing is Believing?

SatMix

i'm really excited about a new project that i'm involved in here in Lille.

we're planning bilingual 'happenings' called SatMix.

the idea is to a create monthly spaces for creative/alternative

worship.

we're 7 on the team.

it's been several years that i've been dreaming of such an adventure...patience :-)

why SatMix?

it will take place on a Sat(urday), with a Mix of styles, influences,

art forms...

we're planning our first on 19 March.

the theme is 'Seeing is believing?'...

i'm grateful to the church of 'L'Eau Vive' for being open and willing

to allow and endorse the venture.

au boulot! (let's get to work)