'Run with the Fire' interviews

Steve Scott has 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 has some fascinating things to say and the interview can be downloaded by clicking here.

Transpositions has also published an interview with Steve specifically about Run with the Fire. Run With The Fire is an arts project for the London 2012 Olympics year organized by CANA, commission4mission and Veritasse. Designed to exhibit in churches, Transpositions 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.

Steve has also given an interview to Church and Art Network in which Run with the Fire is featured as a case study. 

Steve Scott 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.

Member's updates

Nadiya Pavliv-Tokarska's Contemporary Cityscapes: After E Hopper and D Hepher is currently at the Tokarska Gallery and runs until 25th August, Wed - Sat, 12.00pm - 7.00pm.

For the last few years Nadiya has been captivated by the complexity and splendour of houses forming Finsbury Circus, near Moorgate in central London. The magnificent quartet of Victorian buildings, formed in an oval, stands today as an understated tribute to human endeavour. It is only natural that we respond to some places and settings more than others. The ways the buildings are grouped and located often forms the sole and visual aesthetics of that very site, capturing our attention and prompting emotional responses as a result. In this exhibition Nadiya takes the viewer on the visual journey through London’s streets. Inspired by the greats, she keeps the past beautifully present.

Valerie Dean will be showing at the 83rd annual exhibition of member's work organised by the Society of Catholic Artists. This year's exhibition will be at St Joseph's Hall, Brompton Oratory, Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, London SW7 2RP from 5th - 12th August from 10.00a.m. to 8.00p.m., except for last day (5.30p.m.).

Valerie has also notified us that there will be an exhibition of Christian art in the chapter house of Canterbury Cathedral from 6th - 26th August, 10.00a.m. to 5.30p.m. The entry fee to the cathedral needs to be paid in order to see this exhibition.

Run with the Fire update

Run with the Fire has entered a new and really exciting phase with a series of initiatives around the country. Read about what is happening in Streatham and Plymouth and see more of the RWTF artwork in our newsletter - click here! Then go to the Run with the Fire blog for the latest stories such as Colours of Life, Inflame and God in the Park.

Ranulph Fiennes portrait

Henry Shelton has painted a portrait of Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Patron of the National Kidney Federation (NKF), which he has presented to the NKF and which is displayed at their Head Office in Worksop.

Mbeng Pouka

Pouka is an artist and sculptor who believes in the ability of human love and kindness to make our world a free and safe environment for every living creature. As we are coming to the climax of technology and increasing knowledge, the interconnection of people makes our world look small.

We are now facing a huge challenge in our planet - the growth in the population, the transformation of our climate, natural catastrophes, the extinction of animals, the insecurity of nations and the increase in poverty due to the wider gap between the rich and poor.

All these challenges we are facing in our modern times are the driving force of the creativity in his artwork as he believes everything created has its own purpose, like the earth we live in - there is no other place where humans can share the same breath with animals and plants or drink the same water and many other things.

Charitable donation - Safer Places

Each year commission4mission makes a donation to a chosen charity with the money donated having been raised through commissions and sales obtained in the preceding year. This year our committee members have asked that our annual donation - which this year amounts to £668.46 - go to Safer Places in support of their work with victims of domestic abuse.

Safer Places is an independent domestic abuse charity dedicated to supporting adults and children affected by domestic abuse. They are able to provide a wide range of services to support users and respond to individual needs and circumstances, whether it is in their refuge accommodation or in the community.
All their services work in a holistic and empowering way to help enable users to live independent lives free from domestic abuse.

Over the first three years of our existence we have been able to donate £4,936 to charities, with our earlier donations going to Haven House, Sightsavers International, and Smile Train UK.
 

AGM & Annual Report

The AGM for commission4mission was held today at All Saints West Ham. The evening included: a drinks reception; viewing of the c4m exhibition located at All Saints; Colin Burns performing tracks from his debut album Emerald&Gold; a talk by Mark Lewis on 'Stanley Spencer - A visionary of our time' followed by personal reminiscences of Spencer as art tutor at the RCA from Joy Rousell Stone. The evening concluded with the AGM itself.

Annual Report 2011-12

Commissions at All Saints Hutton, St John’s Seven Kings & St Margaret’s Great Ilford

In 2011/12, our third year of operation, commission4mission has continued to develop its work, made key decisions for its future, and undertaken work in partnership with other arts and faith organisations.

During 2011/12 commission4mission has:

·        completed commissions for artworks at All Saints Hutton, St John’s Seven Kings and St Margaret’s Great Ilford;

·        gained commissions for artworks at Christ Church ThamesView and Dagenham Park Church of England School;

·        maintained a changing display of member’s work at All Saints West Ham and organised exhibitions at Holy Trinity with St Augustine of Hippo Leytonstone, St Martin-in-the-Fields, St Mary Magdalene Billericay and Tokarska Gallery;

commission4mission exhibition, Crypt Gallery at St Martin-in-the-Fields

·        held an evening of art talks by Dr Graham Gould and Mark Lewis, led with Dr Philip Jenson an art workshop at St Paul’s Harlow which produced a design for a frieze, and organised a Study Day on the value of public art (also at St Paul’s Harlow);

·        worked in partnership with CANA and Veritasse (Run with the Fire, an international art project for churches in the 2012 Olympic year) and also with Art & Christianity Enquiry and Harlow Art Trust (Study Day on the value of public art);

·        completed the Run with the Fire digital exhibition and event guidance materials and produced a DVD containing these materials; and

‘Running Towards The Goal’ by Erland Sibuea,

part of the ‘Run with the Fire’ digital exhibition.

·        produced Condemned, a creative reflection for Lent  illustrated with contemporary art works by seven member artists, accompanied by the words of Isaiah 53;

·        donated £1,568 split between Sightsavers and SmileTrain, this being the charitable element from our second year of operation.

We are very grateful to: all members for their support and involvement; all committee members for their direction and guidance; our Patron, Bishop David, for his ideas and interest; and Ranjit Solomon for his independent examination of our accounts.

Rev. Jonathan Evens, Secretary – May 2012