The days are drawing in. It feels awful to look out the window at 3pm and already see the darkness creeping across our world. No wonder our ancestors, like so many other religious traditions, sought to celebrate a festival of light and hope around the winter solstice. For that is what Chanukah [aka Hannukah, which begins this year on Sunday 28 November] is about for me. I know that it is also a historical reminder of how, in 165 BCE, the Maccabees won a surprise victory over the Seleucid/Syrian oppressors who had invaded Israel and desecrated the Temple with their idols and pig sacrifices and forced my ancestors to abandon Jewish practice and learning. Some centuries later, the sages added the wonderful story of how a small vial of oil, needed to light the Menorah in the Temple, lasted not just one day, but eight. A miracle had happened there, and this was given as the reason why we light candles each night. But for me, the real story, the real miracle is how one tiny candle can dispel so much darkness. We need to be open to spot the tiny miracles that surround us each day. The love of family and friends. The sound of children playing. The light of the sun through the clouds. The colour of the trees. And so much more. Not only that, we need to push ourselves, if we can, to help provide miracles for others. We need to use our minds, hearts, bodies and purses to help dispel that darkness. I often feel a sense of despair, what can I really do to help? How can my puny actions make a dent in global warming, or the poverty, the violence that is everywhere around us in our world…but then the Chanukah candle reminds me, one little flame can be a light in the darkness. I wish you all a Happy and fulfilling Chanukah.

Rabbi Jackie Tabick (Council of Christians and Jews)

UAL Jewish Society Chanukah party

How can you create a resilient spiritual life, in the midst of global crisis? How can you fully weave together your spirituality and your work for the world? How can you be a light for others in a dark time? A ten week in-person programme for young adults (under the age of 40) from any spiritual tradition or belief system, offered by St Ethelburga’s Centre for Reconciliation and Peace with some bursary places for men and people of colour available.

‘St Ethelburga’s is a ‘maker of peace-makers’. Our core aim is to build community resilience for times of ecological and social emergency. We build strong, cohesive communities across differences of all kinds, through practical, collaborative action. Our vision is for a peaceful, just and inclusive world, rooted in care for each other and our common home.   We believe in the potential of crisis to precipitate change and renewal.’

“Continuing to do pioneering work in a world as crazy and painful as ours without constantly grounding yourself in sacred practice, would be like running into a forest fire dressed only in a paper tutu.”
(Marian Woodman)

The pandemic was just the beginning. We are entering into times of profound uncertainty, watching things unravel around us. Where can we find the inner resources to help us weather the storm? How can we root ourselves in what is essential? Can we be a light for others in a time of growing darkness?

Spirituality and faith are a vital resource for both personal resilience and global transformation. But the rampant materialism and cultural disintegration in the world around us, can have a negative impact on spiritual depth, sometimes without us realising. We see a need to resource young (and young-ish) adults who are engaged in activism, service, leadership or innovation, to keep inner lives powerful and pure, for the long haul. This programme will teach a simple method for crafting an inner space inside ourselves, and an outer structure in our lives, that protects our practice from the distractions and distortions in the wider landscape. Armed with these tools, you’ll be able to stay rooted in what is Real, and hold fast to what is sacred, no matter how tough things get.

Do you want to….

deepen your spiritual practice so it is strong and unshakeable, in an atmosphere free of dogma?
be part of a community that stretches across traditions and cultures?
weave together your spiritual practice with your work for the world, so there is no separation?
grow your inner resilience for the turbulent times ahead?

Are you….

under the age of 40?
already committed to some form of spiritual practice?
engaged in activism, service, leadership or innovation?
….if so, come and join us!

What will we cover?

The course is built around a cycle of 4 elements designed to help us ground a committed spiritual life, fit for whatever is on the horizon. Each element is repeated in more depth in the second half of the course.

• Disciplined practice: Spiritual practice, resilience and the role of discipline
• Inner work: Reclaiming our psychological shadow
• Navigating conflict: Living wisely in a polarised and post-truth world
• Loving Earth: Connecting to the wider web of life

Midway through the programme there will be a weekend day of service, where we offer our time to a regenerative ecological or social project.

For more information contact Justine Huxley on 0207 496 1611 or

https://stethelburgas.org/event/lighthouse-in-a-storm/

The Religion & Art forum takes place on a monthly basis, online via Zoom from 6-8pm UK time, with invited presenters sharing an aspect of their practice for up to 20 minutes each, followed by a Q&A and open discussion. Sessions are informally moderated by Nina Danino (Goldsmiths College) and Mark Dean (Arts Chaplaincy Projects). We are interested in a range of perspectives on questions of religion and art, with a focus on personal and collective experience and practice, rather than sociological or anthropological observation.

Session 4:
Monday 14 June 6-8pm
with presentations by
Caroline Smith
Donna Matthews
Farouk Yahya
Sheona Beaumont
* register now via Eventbrite *

Caroline Smith

Bio

Caroline Smith is a performance maker and writer whose comical and often sinister works reveal the unfamiliar in the everyday and the commonplace in the strange. Her themes explore the inevitable disturbances that arise between self and other. She often works in character and engages with constructed and imagined atmospheres that are compelling and often uncomfortable. She treats silence as a material and hosts dinner parties and café interventions in order to reveal how non speech impacts the event. She has performed at many of the UK’s  leading theatres and galleries including the Royal Festival Hall, Tate Modern, Tate Britain, ICA, Whitechapel Gallery, Hayward, Chelsea Theatre, Summerhall, Colchester and Norwich Arts Centres.

Presentation

I find non speech as a Buddhist practitioner, artist and writer multi-faceted. In feminism, broadly, it is associated with oppression. But silence can be dramatic, physical, aggressive, energetic, listless, heavy, shameful, mundane. The silent large scale theatrical dinners and café interventions that I have hosted reveal that silence is constantly changing, offering heightened realms and the potential for deep listening (coined by Pauline Oliveros). This presentation explores my use of silence as an artistic tool and for collaboration. An in-breath to your out-breath.

carolinesmithonline.com

Donna Matthews

Bio

Donna Matthews is an impovisor, musician, and video artist. In the 1990’s she played lead guitar in Elastica and lo-fi, DIY band Klang, and in subsequent years devised and facilitated creative workshops for people in recovery from addiction. She is currently studying a practice-based PhD in Theology at the School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow, researching Improvisation as a Liminal Experience. Interested in issues such as poetic intuition, inspiration, and gift, her work explores how the intuitive state might be conveyed through aesthetic form, whilst also exploring improvisation as a means of ‘undoing form’ in order to experience the inspired state.

Presentation

Donna will play excerpts from current improvisations discussing questions and concepts that inform her practice.

youtube.com/channel/UConndQKs69PNykUf6l9SKwQ
instagram.com/donnalmatthews/

Farouk Yahya

Bio

Dr Farouk Yahya is a Research Associate in the Department of the History of Art and Archaeology, School of Arts, SOAS University of London. His research interests include the Islamic arts of the book, as well as texts and images relating to magic and divination, particularly in Southeast Asia. He is the author of Magic and Divination in Malay Illustrated Manuscripts (Leiden: Brill, 2016) and editor of The Arts of Southeast Asia from the SOAS Collections (Penang: Areca Books, 2017). His latest book is the co-edited volume Islamicate Occult Sciences in Theory and Practice (Leiden: Brill, 2021).

Presentation

One of my current areas of research is on calligrams or pictorial calligraphy. These are texts that have been shaped into images. In my talk I will focus on calligrams produced by Muslim societies in Southeast Asia from the 18th century up to the present day. I find them fascinating and I believe that they are an important area of research for a number of reasons. For example, the calligrams are often composed of sacred texts, and thus they can help us understand the relationship between art and religion. Furthermore, they can also make us reflect on how we define and perceive texts and images (are they texts or are they images?). In doing so they bring another dimension to discussions around the so-called “prohibition” of figural representation in Islam.

Sheona Beaumont

Bio

Sheona Beaumont is an artist and writer working with photography. She was Bishop Otter Scholar (2017-2020) with the Diocese of Chichester and King’s College London, curating and writing about the relationship between art and theology. She has written for History of Photography, Religion and the Arts, Art+Christianity, and the Visual Commentary on Scripture, and her artist books include Eye See Trinity (2016, the result of a residency at Trinity College, Bristol) and Bristol Through the Lens (2011). She is co-founder of Visual Theology, and together with Madeleine Emerald Thiele, has co-edited the forthcoming volume Transforming Christian Thought in the Visual Arts: Theology, Aesthetics, and Practice (Routledge, 2021).

Presentation
Sheona will introduce work-in-progress from a new series of photographs, We Went to Church on Monday. From 2017-2019, Sheona documented life at St Cyriac’s Church, Lacock as part of a commission to reproduce the guide book and other visitor materials. The images capture a Church of England village church which is in many ways typical of worshipping life in a rural setting, rooted in centuries-old traditions and symbols. In a more creative approach, however, the Christian faith itself is explored by Sheona’s layering and connections made between images old and new. Theological conversations emerge with colourful and dramatic photographic expression.

shospace.co.uk
visualtheology.org.uk

Header image credit: Nina Danino, Stabat Mater, 1990, 16mm still

Keele University Chaplaincy are currently advertising a 1 year vacancy for a Volunteer Chaplaincy Assistant to join their team for the academic year 2021/2022:

Are you interested in being our Volunteer Chaplaincy Assistant for 2021-22?

Looking for an exciting and challenging gap year?

Want to work with and support students at University?

Interested in exploring your Christian faith and vocation?

A 10 month role from September 2021. Accommodation on campus and a living allowance provided.

Download the information pack and application form at keele.ac.uk/chapel/

The closing date is 12noon, Monday 5th July, 2021.

by Meeno Chawla, UAL Sikh Faith Advisor

Meeno (centre) at Nagar Kirtan with the founder of ‘Khalsa Aid’

Vaisakhi, also known as Baisakhi is the new year, which signifies the Spring harvest festival and the formation of the ‘Khalsa’.  Vaisakhi is an important day for Sikhs, which takes place this year on Tuesday 13 April. Around this time a procession usually takes place called the ‘Nagar Kirtan’. ‘Nagar’ means neighbourhood and ‘kirtan’ means hymns. This involves many Sikhs coming together and walking through the local area, singing hymns and spreading the lord’s message. The pandemic resulted in last year’s procession being cancelled and due to the size of the event, it is unlikely to take place this year.

To give you an idea of the Nagar Kirtan and its importance to Sikhism, I will explain the history of Vaisakhi. Guru Gobind Singh Ji is the tenth Guru of Sikhism and in 1699, the Guru chose five fearless individuals to lead the ‘Khalsa Panth’ who are called the ‘Panj Piyare’ (five beloved ones). The Panj Piyare from my local Gurdwara lead the Nagar Kirtan and are dressed in saffron colour attire. This is followed by Sikh holy book called Guru Granth Sahib Ji, an embodiment of a living Guru which is placed on a float and worshippers can pay their respects during the procession. Volunteers come together to prepare food and drink called the Parshad or Langar for the event and assist with making sure the streets are kept cleaned. This procession brings together the whole Sikh community.

Panj Piyare at the Gurdwara

On Vaisakhi, I usually go to the Gurdwara with my parents. We listen to hymns and prayers and remember the birth of the Khalsa. It is important to remember the sacrifices our Gurus made and how their teachings should be embedded in our daily lives.

The Nishan Sahib (orange flag hoisted at all Gurdwaras) is cleaned and replaced by the Sikh community on Vaisakhi, which is significant in showing new beginnings. My Grandfather represented the Panj Piyare, as seen in the photo below:

Meeno’s Grandfather at the Gurdwara, reading the Guru Granth Sahib Ji

On Vaisakhi, those who would like to be a part of the Khalsa are baptised by the Panj Piyare, who prepare Amrit (holy water) with water and sugar. Prayers are said whilst the Panj Piyare stir the water with the double-edged sword. Those being baptised wear the 5ks, which are Kesh (uncut hair), Kara (steel bangle), Kanga (wooden comb), Kachera (cotton underwear) and Kirpan (steel sword).

Panj Piyare

They will drink the holy water and it is sprinkled on their head whilst they recite the Mool Mantra, which is the opening verse in the Guru Granth Sahib Ji, as follows:

I have attended the Nagar Kirtan in previous years, and it feels amazing to collectively walk across town with the community and celebrate the birth of the Khalsa.

Nagar Kirtan

Although it is not the same without the human interaction, technology has brought me closer to my faith. I celebrated Vaisakhi last year by watching a City Sikhs Vaisakhi programme on Zoom. The virtual programme gave us all an opportunity to continue our celebrations together. If you would like to see last year’s celebration, you can do so below.  Wishing you all a Happy Vaisakhi!

In recent years, many people — not only Christians — have adopted the practice of giving something up for Lent, the period of 40 days before Easter. However, this spiritual discipline can also be practiced by taking something up. This Lent, Arts Chaplaincy Projects invited artists to consider their own spiritual journey (as they understand it) and present work in relation to one or more of the Stations of the Cross.

36 artists made 140 works, which can be viewed at artschaplaincy.net/projects/stations-2021/

The Spiritual Exercises took place in the spring of 2020, during the first UK lockdown, when in response to an open call 100 artists produced work in isolation. The resulting exhibition connected these artists with a wide online audience.

The Spiritual Exercises 2 invited artists involved in the original project to connect with one other over the course of the second extended lockdown, offering them an online space to present their collaborative work.

To view the exhibition please visit: https://artschaplaincy.net/projects/the-spiritual-exercises-2/

The chaplaincy usually serves pancakes in the Parade Ground at Chelsea on Shrove Tuesday:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Chelsea College of Arts (@chelseaual)

Unfortunately due to lockdown, this will not be possible this year – in fact, last year’s pancakes, which accompanied a Mardi Gras arts festival, was one of our last events before the Covid crisis struck.

If you would like to make your own pancakes this year, here is the original recipe (for thin pancakes use plain flour and double the milk)

Shrove Tuesday is the day before Lent, the period of 40 days before Easter that begins on Ash Wednesday. All are welcome to join our Ash Wednesday service of prayer at 1pm —see our THIS WEEK section for joining details, or contact the chaplains for more information.

Our friends at the London Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple usually extend an invitation to celebrate Chinese New Year with them in person, but due to the current situation, they are offering the opportunity to do so virtually, through their beautiful interactive animation at:
http://mainservices.southeastasia.cloudapp.azure.com/lightoffering

If you missed the live streamed service on December 16, you can listen to the carols  below (download the service booklet to sing along) and if you are able, please consider donating to Centrepoint.

Welcome

Carol

Reading

The prophecy of the Messiah’s birth (Isaiah 9:2,6-7)
Read by Lucy Haydon, LCC student

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness —
on them light has shined.
For a child has been born for us, a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders;
and he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom.
He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

The ‘Sans Day Carol’ or ‘St. Day Carol’ was first transcribed in the nineteenth century from the singing of Thomas Beard, a villager in St Day in the parish of Gwennap, Cornwall. However, the song is also traditionally sung by Appalachian communities in the United States, which suggests it is much older.

Reading

A promised ruler from Bethlehem (Micah 5:2-4)
Read by Louise Higgs, UAL Disability Adviser and Art Therapist

But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.
Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labour has brought forth; then the rest of his kindred shall return to the people of Israel. And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth; and he shall be the one of peace.

Carol

Reading

The Angel Gabriel announces the Good News (Luke 1:26-38)
Read by Rotimi Akinsete,
UAL Associate Dean of Students (Wellbeing and Inclusion)

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.’ But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’ The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.

‘O Holy Night’ (also known as ‘Cantique de Noël’) was composed by Adolphe Adam in 1847 to the French poem ‘Minuit, chrétiens’ (Midnight, Christians) by Placide Cappeau.

Reading

The birth of Jesus (Matthew 1:18-23)
Read by Marie Kan,
Head of Counselling, Health Advice & Chaplaincy

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel’,
which means, ‘God is with us.’

Carol

Reading

The Mystery of the Incarnation (John 1:1-14)
Read by Juliette Sargeant,
Interim Director of Library and Student Support Services

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.

The words for ‘Shepherds in The Fields Abiding’ are based on a Latin text from the Sarum Rite, used liturgically from the late eleventh century until the English Reformation. The music is from an old French carol.

Reading

The shepherds visit the manger (Luke 2: 4-16)

The shepherds visit the manger (Luke 2: 4-16)
Read by Sir Nigel Carrington, Vice-Chancellor

Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see — I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favours!” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger.”

Prayers

We pray for peace, justice, and healing in our world, and for all members of our university community, remembering especially those we have lost this year:

December 2019 – Michelle Telesford, UAL Human Resources Consultant

January 2020 – Kate Love – CSM Critical Studies Coordinator

February 2020 – Jungeun Kim – LCF International Prep for Fashion student

July 2020 – Junaed Amin, CSM MRes Art: Theory and Philosophy student

August 2020 – Elie Che Williams – LCF Fashion PR and Communication student

September 2020 – Veronica Hendry, LCF Short Courses Tutor

November 2020 – Manaal Tahir – LCF BA Fashion Textiles: Embroidery student

We commend all whom we love, or who have asked for our prayers, to the unfailing love of our heavenly Father, and say together, as Christ taught his disciples:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come; thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil. for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever.
Amen

Blessing

We wish you a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!

We usually take a collection in support of the homeless after the service, and this year we are suggesting that people can make online donations to our chosen charity for 2020:

Centrepoint provides homeless young people with accommodation, health support and life skills in order to get them back into education, training and employment. If you can, please give at https://centrepoint.org.uk/

With special thanks to

The musicians
Tim Roe (musical director)
Emily Jennings (soprano)
Helen Hughson (alto)
Alexander MacLaren (tenor)
Jonathan Hedley (bass)

The recordists
David Leal (camera)
Jack Cortvriend (sound)

The festival of Hanukkah (also spelled Chanukah) begins in the evening of Thursday, 10 December and ends in the evening of Friday, 18 December.

Alexandra Hassan,  President of UAL Jewish Society (aka J-Soc), tells us something about the festival, and what it means to her:

What is Hanukkah?

Chanukah is the Jewish eight-day ‘festival of lights’ that celebrates the rededication of the Temple after it was destroyed by the Greeks in second century BCE. The Jews were forced to follow the Greek way of life and not Judaism so a small army of Jews, called the Maccabees, fought the Greeks and won; this is one of the miracles of Chanukah.

Another miracle was that even though the Temple was destroyed and they thought they couldn’t find oil to light the menorah — the seven-branched candelabrum — they miraculously found a bit of oil but it was only enough to last one day, and it lasted for eight days!

What are your family traditions for the holiday?

For the eight nights of the festival, I join my family in lighting the menorah and say the blessings and festive songs to reminisce on what the festival represents.

Some families give money to their children as a present, who then choose which charity to give it to, but in my family, we give each other small, sentimental gifts. The festive food I eat with my family includes chocolate coins and fried food such as latkes (a bit like a hash brown) and doughnuts, which are eaten because the oil represents how the menorah was traditionally lit in the Temple.

Why is Hanukkah important to you?

The menorah once lit, lights up the dark winter and is a reminder of the importance of honouring my Jewish identity and heritage. How even in the darkest of times, even in the Holocaust, a light could be found through belief. For example, there is a story of how a concentration camp inmate saved up scraps of fat from their food and used loose threads to form makeshift wicks to kindle a flame to celebrate Chanukah and connect to Judaism.

Do you think there are any important themes from Hanukkah that non-Jewish people can bring into their lives?

The late Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, the Chief Rabbi in the UK between 1991 and 2003, talked about how ‘Religious Freedom Matters’ (2010) for all faiths and beliefs which are still persecuted nowadays for they way they choose to worship. The symbolism of a candle is shared by many faiths and people, including Christians at Christmas, and Hindus & Sikhs at Diwali; it is a reminder of how hope and the strength of the human spirit can bring light into difficult situations. Whenever a candle is lit, whatever the faith or the beliefs of the person, the world becomes a little brighter and the diversity can enrich all our lives.

Do you have a favourite piece of Hanukkah-related art or poetry that you could share with us?

A childhood song I grew up singing is ‘I Have a Little Dreidel’ written by Samuel Grossman, in 1927 (a dreidel is like a spinning top)

Last year the UAL Jewish Society had a Chanukah party in a club in Shoreditch — it was a great night, we even managed to play a game of dreidel in the club!

Harrie Cedar, one of our Jewish Faith Advisors, invites all staff and students to a ZOOM Hanukkah for 8 nights from 10th December, at 5pm every evening, except Friday 11 December when candles will be lit at 3pm.

“Each night I shall light candles and say very brief prayers. The first night (Thursday 10th December 5pm) I shall give a brief explanation. On the Saturday night I shall light Havdalah candles first to mark the end of Shabbat and then light Hanukah candles. Do join me for this light up in the darkness!”

Thursday 10 December 5pm
Friday 11 December at 3pm
then each night at 5pm until 17 December

Zoom meeting ID: 740 8825 7565
Passcode: 815405

A message from friends of UAL Chaplaincy:

We would like to wish you all a happy LGBTIQ+ PRIDE. This year the pride parade has been cancelled, but no need to fear as Chelsea College Of Arts MAFA students and friends have created an art show (Don’t Rain On My Parade) to commemorate this special celebration. We hope that you enjoy the show and please share it with your friends, family and any LGBTIQ+ community members.

Keep sharing your love and diversity and please stay safe.

https://extraordinarytimes.myblog.arts.ac.uk/2020/06/28/pride-2020/

Around the world, many people have been demonstrating and making statements in response to the killing of of George Floyd. The picture above, taken from the Washington Post*, shows local faith leaders outside St. John’s Episcopal (Anglican) Church near Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington DC. As members of our local interfaith forum, UAL Chaplaincy is allied with Faiths Forums for London, who have issued the following statement:

As faith leaders and activists from all over the UK, we write in solidarity with the black communities in the USA and the UK.

We have been horrified by the killing of George Floyd in the USA, and the brutality against the black communities there. Whilst these events have taken place thousands of miles away, we cannot ignore them, and must remain vigilant with regards to the situation in the UK.

We believe that voices from the black communities should be at the fore now, but as many of our own communities are comprised of people from different races and ethnicities, we wanted to make a statement of support. We stand alongside the black communities of the UK, of all faiths and none. Whilst Britain is overall a tolerant country, we recognise the history of systemic racism and prejudice many have faced, and reject the pernicious ideology of white supremacy.

As in the USA, COVID-19 has shone a spotlight on longstanding racial inequalities in this country. The report published by Public Health England this week shows that people from black and Asian ethnic groups are up to twice as likely to die from COVID-19 than those from white British backgrounds. This is deeply troubling, and there is concern that the crisis will have further disproportionate impacts on the BAME community in other ways.

We stand shoulder to shoulder with the black population of the UK, and the USA, in affirming that Black Lives Matter. Support for social change from different faith communities has been a source of strength in the past. The civil rights movement in the USA in the 1960s was backed by many faith communities. Rev Martin Luther King was president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and received support from different Churches. Furthermore, one of King’s most vociferous allies was Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, who famously said after marching with him at Selma in 1965: “I felt my legs were praying.”

As well as expressing solidarity with the black population of the UK and USA, we recommit to standing up to racism and prejudice within our own communities, and wider British society.

Signed by:

Maurice Ostro OBE, Chair, Faiths United
Ajahn Amaro, Abbot, Amaravati Buddhist Monastery
Qari Asim, Chair, Mosques & Imams National Advisory Board
Nemu Chandaria OBE, President, ONEJain
Zaki Cooper, Trustee, Council of Christians and Jews
Malcolm Deboo, President, Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe
Mustafa Field OBE, Director, Faiths Forum for London
Rajnish Kashyap, General Secretary, Hindu Council UK
Farhad Mawani, Ismailli Community
Rev Dr Heather Morris, Methodist Church in Ireland
Rev Canon Lusa Nsenga-Ngoy, Leicester Cathedral
Bhaven Pathak, Director, Yog Foundation
Jeevun Rohilla, Faiths United Youth Network
Krish Raval OBE, Director, Faith in Leadership
Syra Sanghera, Co-Chair, Faiths United Youth Network
Venerable Bogoda Seelawimala, Head of the London Buddhist Vihara
Mandip Singh, Director, Gurdwara Aid
Daniel Singleton, National Executive Director, Faith Action
Iain Stewart, Executive Director, Edinburgh Inter-Faith Association
Shahien Taj OBE, Executive Director, Henna Foundation
Dr Mark Owen, Director, Centre of Religion, Reconciliation and Peace, University of Winchester
Padideh Sabeti, Director, Office of Public Affairs of the UK Bahá’í Community

* The photograph above accompanies the following article by Jennifer Rubin:

We have become so accustomed to President Trump’s debasement of religious faith and to his cavalcade of phony evangelical leaders who have elevated him to cult leader (and abandoned any hint of Christian values) that many of us were surprised this past week when we saw a magnificent display of actual religious faith and principle from diverse figures.

The Rev. Mariann Budde, the Episcopal bishop of Washington, kicked things off with a denunciation of Trump’s use of violence against protesters and misappropriation of St. John’s Episcopal Church and the Bible for a cheap political stunt. During an interview on PBS Newshour, she explained her reaction. “I felt it was urgent to remove that association as quickly as possible and to state our position in faithfulness to the Gospel as we understand it,” Budde said. She clarified that while Trump was always welcome to come to pray, “But that’s not what he did. That’s not what he did. . . . He is always welcome to be part of the worshiping body, but not to use the mantle of the church to his political — to communicate a political message.” Well, that was a refreshing reminder.

Budde’s denunciation of Trump’s conduct and use of violence was followed by Wilton Gregory, the Catholic archbishop of Washington: “I find it baffling and reprehensible that any Catholic facility would allow itself to be so egregiously misused and manipulated in a fashion that violates our religious principles, which call us to defend the rights of all people, even those with whom we might disagree.” Soon leaders of all faiths chimed in.

One interfaith group after another denounced the president. Rabbi Jack Moline, president of Interfaith Alliance, said in a statement that standing in front of a church with a Bible “right after using military force to clear peaceful protesters out of the area — is one of the most flagrant misuses of religion I have ever seen. This only underscores the president’s complete lack of compassion for Black Americans and the lethal consequences of racism.” Even some evangelical leaders split with Trump to criticize his actions.

People of actual faith underscored that a photo op enabled by unjustified violence is nothing short of blasphemous. Faith requires that we treat our fellow men and women with empathy, kindness, respect and generosity. Faith instructs us to eschew prejudice, misuse of power and “domination” of the weak and the poor. We saw genuine expressions of faith in an outpouring of interdenominational unity and love.

When authentic religious voices spoke up, they made a powerful distinction between faith leaders and Trump’s evangelical lackeys. The latter have made fools of themselves in venerating the most un-Christian president we have ever had, one who embodies none of the values of the great faith movements. The Jerry Falwell Jr.’s are cultural and partisan warriors who provide cover for the racism, cruelty, narcissism, materialism and dishonesty that define Trump’s character. These figures are not beacons of religious values.

To all the faith leaders who spoke out this past week, who summoned us to love our fellow man and who reminded Americans that a president who uses violence to conduct a photo op at a church debases both the presidency and religion, we can say, well done.

The Spiritual Exercises features 100 artists, including UAL students, staff and alumni, in an online exhibition mediating memory and longing via the parameters of the present, now showing at artschaplaincy.net/projects

The Door of Light, by Huda Al Mazroua

UAL Chelsea MA Fine Art student Huda Al Mazroua reflects on her experience of Ramadan at this time:

Fasting during Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, along with faith, prayer, charity, and the pilgrimage to Mecca. Two billion people celebrate Ramadan as one of the most valuable spiritual practices to empower a human in overcoming our self and transcending our ego. It helps restore justice and peace in the world.

Fasting in Islam means abstaining from food, drink, and sinful acts from sunrise to sunset. It is to instil piety and increase discipline to enable us to stay away from prohibited acts during the year. It is also an opportunity to understand how the poor experience starvation; we are encouraged to give and to become more generous and selfless.

Ramadan is full of blessings and virtues due to many spiritual and physical reasons. It teaches self-discipline and self-control, which is a  goal for all education institutions. In Ramadan, it is like my soul is full of energy, creative power and eureka moments. On the other hand, the time limit might affect my production.

During the coronavirus pandemic, the mosques are closed due to government-imposed social distancing, which is essential for keeping ourselves and family safe. However, the majority of Muslims are missing gathering for iftar parties in mosques and in homes; during Ramadan, Muslims usually invite each other to share food together at sunset, the end of the day’s fast. We all are missing our relatives and friends.

Research has shown that fasting can have many health benefits. For example, during fasting you eat fewer meals which means you take fewer calories; this facilitates weight loss, which can be helpful for those who are overweight. Fasting can reduce insulin resistance, lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes, and can also reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in the body.

Thankfully, UAL offers support to Muslim students and workers at this time; however, more support may be required for those who have multiple roles. Muslims do get tired in Ramadan because of thirst and hunger. It can also be difficult to manage time, as Ramadan is full of worship, prayer, and reading the Quran.

For example, as a mother, I have responsibility for my three kids: I am the chef, the teacher, and the cleaner. At the same time, I am a student, a researcher, and an artist. At home in Saudi, we prepare food at night and eat before sunrise, then sleep during the day to minimise the long fasting day, but I have to wake up early as usual, to be active in online lectures, and in order to honour my teaching commitments at Princess Nourah University College of Art & Design, which supports me to the end.

In Mecca, the Ka’bah is the focus for followers of Islam, a quarter of the world’s population, and they turn to face it in prayer five times a day all around the world. I am inspired by the Ka’bah to create a new and unique form of art. My ideas are highlighted in my blog where I will be glad to be visited and happy to answer any questions.

hudaalmazroua.myblog.arts.ac.uk

With thanks to Huda for sharing her experience and artwork.  If you have any reflections of your own on Ramadan, or fasts and festivals in other faiths, and would like to share them here, please contact the chaplains.

As many of us are now working from home, we are getting familiar with the background scenes in the video conferences that we use to connect remotely with our co-workers — complete with clutter, cats, half-naked co-habitees, etc… and there are plenty of amusing screen grabs of these being posted online. To avoid this, some people are using virtual backgrounds for their video calls — often images of places that they can’t actually go to now.

So for a change, we thought we would post images of some of the actual places that UAL students and staff can go to on their daily walk/run/cycle (depending on their situation of course — some people have to shield themselves indoors, and some countries have harder lockdowns — in which case you may have a special peaceful place in your home). Send your pictures to the chaplains and we will post them here (latest at top).

Statue of Gandhi in the calm centre of Tavistock Square, WC1
Kyran Joughin,  CCW UCU Branch Secretary

Roses, Caenthos, & Gingko (with earrings)
Alison Wallace, Wimbledon Library Assistant

Shielding at home
Louise Higgs, UAL Art Psychotherapist

The Lily of Lockdown
Oh beautiful Lily, heaven scent
Of sweetness, sublime
My journey you accompany,
Alongside clock…marking time

Neighbour’s garden with cheery blossom
Lesley Wilkins, LCC Staffing Administrator

Bluebell Wood, Bounds Green
Marie Kan, UAL Head of Counselling, Health Advice and Chaplaincy

The Round Pond, Kensington Gardens
Soon-han Choi, UAL Chaplaincy Associate Faith Advisor

Anti-hysteria with wisteria, St John’s Wood
Mark Dean, UAL Chaplain

Fairy street with tree ferns unfurling,  London N4
Nicky O’Donnell, CSM BA Ceramics student

Blossom in Morden
Alice Bloom, Wimbledon Academic Support Librarian

Regent’s Park
William Whitcombe, UAL Lead Chaplain

Bluebell Woods
Lou Ratcliffe, CCW Head of Finance

Stations 2020 is now online at
https://artschaplaincy.net/projects/stations-2020/
with new readings via Zoom (the social distancing medium of the moment) by UAL students and staff, and other friends of Arts Chaplaincy Projects including NHS & Royal Mail workers from the front line.

https://online.flippingbook.com/view/655999/

By Imogen Wall

So… my goodness. A couple of days ago, I threw out an off-the-cuff post on aid worker tips for surviving lockdown and quarantine. Today I’ve woken up to find it’s been reshared thousands of times. I’m getting comments from strangers around the world, messages of thanks, even requests to translate it. If you’ll forgive the expression, it appears to have… gone viral. The overwhelming reason it seems to have a struck a chord is that it talked about how we’re all feeling a bit wobbly. It sounds like there are an awful lot of people having reactions they don’t really understand. So today I thought I’d write a short follow up with my mental health first aider/therapist hat on. Ladies and Gents, this is Pandemic Anxiety 101.

IN CRISES, WE START DOING WEIRD STUFF: Over the last week I have struggled to sleep, stayed up late into the night reading endless news articles, bought pasta I don’t even like very much, got angry with my mum for not staying home. My spelling is a disaster and I’m definitely drinking more. I’ve been a bit teary, and all I really want to eat is cake, cake and more cake. From what I got back from my post yesterday, I’m not alone. If you’re having a wobble, you may also have noticed all sorts of weird stuff going on. Are you arguing more, talking faster, struggling to sleep, restless, desperate for information? Or are you teary and overwhelmed, perhaps feeling a bit sick? Struggling to make decisions? Just want to stay in bed? Tummy upsets? Having palpitations, butterflies, headaches? Ranting, picking fights or getting into arguments? Laughing unexpectedly or saying random, inappropriate things? Developing Very Strong Opinions on epidemiology overnight? Or have you just completely gone to ground? If you are feeling any of these things: good news! You are not going mad. And you are 100% not alone. You are, in fact completely normal: a fully emotionally functional human being. Congratulations! Why? I’ll explain: take a seat and put the kettle on.

WE ARE LIVING IN TURBO-ANXIOUS TIMES. Well, no kidding. We’re in the middle of an unprecedented crisis that has showed up unexpectedly (they do that) and which presents a mortal threat to ourselves, our loved ones and our way of life. It’s terrifying and it’s getting worse and it makes us feel totally out of control. And this is on top of anything else we have going on. HERE’S THE SCIENCE BIT. When we are exposed to threats and need to deal with them, our brain springs into action. Specifically a tiny, innocent-looking thing buried behind your ear called the amygdala (fun fact: it’s the size and shape of an almond). It’s the bit in charge when we are frightened and right now, it’s in full tin-hat klaxon mode. Unfortunately, it’s also very ancient bit of kit. It came into being when threats basically consisted of being eaten by large scary animals like bears.

You know that thing about when you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail? Well, to the amygdala, everything looks like a bear. It’s also pretty basic, so it really only has two settings. There are no bears😊 and BEAR!!!.

SETTING: BEAR!!! Because all threats look like a bear to the amygdala, it preps you accordingly. There are really only two reactions to a bear about to eat you: fight it, or run away really fast. So this is what the body gets you ready to do. It’s called the Fight or Flight response (there’s also freeze, meaning you just get paralysed). It does this by flooding your body with chemicals like cortisol, and adrenaline. Your heart rate goes up, you feel super alert, your breathing goes shallow, your muscles are ready for action. These chemicals are also largely responsible for the huge range of other cognitive/physical/emotional reactions in my intro.

In group fear situation like a pandemic, this tends to happen whether you think you’re scared or not – anxiety is even more infectious than COVID. Your body reacts even if your conscious mind doesn’t.

BEAR V VIRUS: Obviously this is all great if you really are running away from a bear. But we’re now in a situation where we’re being asked to do the EXACT OPPOSITE of running away. We are being told to sit tight. Literally stay still. Process large amounts of information, make complicated and life changing decisions, and stay calm. All while a bit of your brain is running around yelling BEAR!!! BEAR!!! BEAR!!! This isn’t easy. The result is an awful lot of stress and anxiety. And if you’re anything like me, you end up feeling really overwhelmed and having all sorts of reactions.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS: Anxiety isn’t just mental – it’s also physical, cognitive and behavioural. You will notice all kinds of things: stomach upsets, headaches, insomnia, changes to eating, changes to the way you talk. It’s also cognitive: it’s very difficult to think straight when you’ve got the BEAR!!! BEAR!!! BEAR!!! thing going on – so we also become very bad at making decisions, absorbing information and generally thinking rationally. Which is EXACTLY what we need to do.

SO WHAT TO DO: well, the good news is it is possible to calm down. We can turn the amygdala from BEAR!!! to NO BEAR😊, and not just by distracting it with cake and tea. Here are some solid, scientifically proven things you can do.

BREATHE. It’s so basic, but breathing exercises are basically magic. They work in minutes and you can do them anywhere. They work because of all the physical reactions the amygdala triggers, rapid breathing is the only one over which we have conscious control. Control your breathing and you are basically telling your body: it’s OK. There is no bear. Your body will then start to dial down the adrenaline and cortisol and all the other reactions will slow to a halt. How to control your breathing? It’s easy – and if you want help just put “two minute breathe bubble” in into YouTube.

The golden rules are these:
• In through the nose, out through the mouth. SLOWLY
• Make the outbreath longer than the inbreath – imagine there’s a candle in front of you and it mustn’t go out
• Breathe from the tummy not chest – really make your tummy go out when breathing in.
• Do it for two minutes – time yourself – and see how you feel

Seriously, try it – this technique is used by everyone from top athletes to the US military to help stay in control while under stress. There are all sorts of versions – from yogic breathing to box breathing to 4-7-8. Google them, mess around, figure out what works for you.

CALL A FRIEND: Don’t suffer alone. Call a mate – someone who’ll listen while you have a bit of a rant, or a cry, or a general wobble. Someone you can trust not to judge you and who’ll just sympathise. And if you get one of those calls, just be nice to them. You only need to be kind. You can’t fix what’s going on so just give them a bit of space to rant and tell them they’re normal and doing great. And if you’re OK, call your friends and check in on them. Especially if they’ve gone silent.

LAUGH: it doesn’t matter what is funny – laughter is a huge releaser of endorphins. Silly memes, silly jokes, stand-up, rolling around with your kids – videos on YouTube. The sillier the better. Also v good for bonding with friends, which will also help you feel less alone.

DO SOMETHING WITH YOUR HANDS. Yes you can meditate if this is your bag, it’s amazing. But if it’s not, and personally I’m rubbish, then trying to start when you’re already anxious is really hard. So do something instead with your hands, that you have to focus on to get right. Cook. Tidy. Knit. Draw. Bake. Garden. Mend things. This is what nice middle class therapists like me call Mindfulness.

TREAT YOUR BODY: We hold stress in our bodies at least as much as our minds. Take a bath or a shower. Put on things that feel good on your skin. Use nice smelling body creams. Stretch. Skip. Do yoga. Dance. Eat healthy but delicious things – fresh if you can get it. All of these will help calm you down.

SUNSHINE. It’s SPRINGTIME amid this horror – enjoy it. If you can’t go outside, open the windows and feel it on your face and breath it in. If it’s safe for you to go outside (maybe you live in the country) do it, while of course observing social distance. Go for a walk. Being outdoors, connecting to nature, is hugely calming.

STEP AWAY FROM SOCIAL MEDIA/THE NEWS: All it will do will scare you more and make things worse. Turn off the telly and for goodness sake avoid the psychopathic digital wild west that is Twitter. Stick to sensible sources like the BBC and the NHS, and limit yourself to short need-to-know bits a day. You’ll feel better immediately. Talk to friends instead – this is physical, not social distancing.

STEP AWAY FROM TERRIBLE COPING MECHANISMS: They will all translate as BEAR!!! to your poor brain. Especially don’t get drunk, especially if you’re alone (BEAR!!!), take drugs (BEAR!!!), stay up all night reading (BEAR!!!), get sucked into conspiracy theories (BEAR!!!), pay attention to ANYTHING Donald Trump says (BEAR!!!). See? Stress levels going up already. Breathe.

BE KIND: to yourself and others. Now is not the time to go on a diet. Nor is this the time to start on Proust or makeover your life. You’ll probably struggle to concentrate, fail and make yourself feel worse (hat tip Laura Gordon for this bit). Don’t make this more stressful than it already is. Think comfort books, comfort telly, comfort everything. Personally I re-read children’s books. Everyone is wobbly, everyone is going to have a meltdown at some point. Understand that if someone is angry or aggressive, then they are also just scared. And eat more cake. Cake makes everything better.

So, there we go. Hopefully a bit less BEAR!!! Now, that kettle should have boiled by now. Go make a nice cup of tea, sit by a window and drink it in this lovely morning sunshine…

by Tom Corby, Associate Dean Research, CSM

7 years ago I had a stem cell transplant. I was isolated for 9 months. The following is what I learnt about staying well and sane: All the below are connected and overlap:

Firstly (and this is difficult) you need to adjust to and accept your new reality. Don’t fight it, live in the moment on a day by day basis.

Keep clean, continue to regularly wash hands even at home. Have a stringent hygiene routine. Have a shower every morning, keep good oral health as there is a weird connection between mouth infections and your immune system.

Go to work at home. Have a daily routine that you follow. It doesn’t literally have to be ‘work’, but keep a daily schedule of things that you do at the same time every day. I realise this might be difficult for some if there is no quiet space at home, routine is important.

Change your jim-jams in the morning. This sounds silly but when you are staying at home it’s tempting to slob around in the same clothes you slept in. Don’t, it’s unhygienic and bad for your self esteem.

Keep fit. If you are fortunate enough to have a house with a corridor use that to walk up and down or use your stairs. You can also get small pedal exercise machines off amazon for around 20 quid that sit under a chair. Stretch etc. Build this into your daily routine.

In family situations be mindful that everyone is going a bit nuts. Learn to forgive quickly and don’t nurse grudges.

Keep connections to friends and family. Share your feelings and experiences, let people know how you are you.

Eat as healthy a diet as you possibly can. Take supplements: extra vitamin B and D.

Have a go bag ready if you need to go to hospital, a weeks worth of clean clothes, book or kindle, a travel kit of toothpaste, soap (yes really), deodorant, and a phone charger.

If you have a hobby it helps, if you haven’t this might be the time to develop one…

Please share widely

A Lenten exhibition of work by MA Fine Art students from Chelsea College of Arts

Lizzie Cardozo-Richards, Michele Clarke, Yi Dong, Alexandra Errington, Iris Garagnoux, Tanya Glavatskix, Frank Jimin Hopp, Zhaoyi Li, David Mook, Beverley Onyangunga, Alan Powdrill, Lorraine Snape, Hon Fung Wu

St Saviour’s Church
St George’s Square
Pimlico
London SW1V 3QW

26 Feb – 22 Mar

Opening event
Sunday 1 March
10.30-1 pm
Artist-led tour and refreshments following Sung Mass
All welcome

Ashes to Passion is an Arts Chaplaincy Project. For further information please visit https://artschaplaincy.net/projects/ashes-to-passion/

Shrove Tuesday
25 Feb

Chelsea College of Arts
16 John Islip St
London SW1P 4JU

Cookhouse Gallery
5-7pm
Private view of exhibition by MA Fine Art students
(show continues to 28 Feb)
+ Pancakes in the Parade Ground

Banqueting Hall
7-9pm
🏳️‍🌈 Communion – all welcome

Glimmer Music Festival (Xuan Liu, Hao Long, Alastair Mackinnon)

further information at artschaplaincy.net/projects/chelsea-mardi-gras/

On Monday 24 February special prayers will be said for the students and staff of University of the Arts London at St Paul’s Cathedral. We are organising a visit to Evensong which takes place at 5pm – all welcome – if you would like to join us please contact the chaplains. We will be meeting on the front steps to the Cathedral at 4.30pm.

Many UAL students and staff, along with their friends and family, attended UAL Carols at 6pm on Thursday 12 December in St George’s Bloomsbury. The beautiful Hawksmoor church was candlelit, and a professional choir helped us sing traditional Christmas anthems and carols, with readings by UAL staff and students. £220 was raised for CUF’s Homelessness campaign, and the evening ended with mulled wine and mince pies in the church hall.

In our prayers we remembered the following students and staff who we have lost this year:

February 2019 – Liam Hall, LCC BA Graphic Branding and Identity student

June 2019 – Julius Little, CSM BA Fine Art 4D student

June 2019 – Tii Ansio, CSM BA Fashion Communication & Promotion student

July 2019 – Giovanna Cappiello, Chelsea FdA Interior Design student

July 2019 – Menelik Mimano, CSM MA Acting student

July 2019 – Jonathan Adebanjo, Camberwell BA Illustration student

November 2019 – Teresa Mitchell, CSM Fashion technician

November 2019 – Henderson McCue, LCF Womenswear 3D Development and Realisation lecturer

As Muslims throughout the world prepare to observe Ramadan, UAL lead chaplain William Whitcombe talks to Najia Ahmed, UAL Student Services Information Helpdesk officer about what it all means …

Can you tell us a bit about what Ramadan is all about?

Ramadan takes place every year for a month. Its a month of fasting, so no food or water from sunrise to sunset. The start date depends on the cycle of the moon, so each year Ramadan starts roughly 10 days earlier than the previous year (for 2019 it runs from 5 May to 4 June). Over the course of your life time, you will find yourself observing Ramadan in all four seasons. Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam which is one of the main fundamentals of being a Muslim. It’s obligatory to observe Ramadan for every able Muslim. Its not all about abstaining from food, it’s a time of reflecting and taking stock of the past year, counting your blessings and an opportunity to start new and positive habits. Giving charity is another pillar in Islam and you will find in the month of Ramadan many Muslims giving back to those in need and working on bringing the community together. The other 3 pillars consist of stating your belief in Allah, praying, and performing Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca).

What does it mean to you, and what’s the most rewarding and most challenging aspect to Ramadan?

Ramadan for me is a time to reconnect to my faith; as the days and months roll by, you tend to fall off the wagon so to speak. It’s about working on myself so I become a better version of myself, to be a better Muslim. Being a better Muslim is not just about the physical actions of praying 5 times a day or learning prayers off by heart, but it’s also about working on your soul, getting rid of negative energy in your life or negative influences and putting out positive energy. I like reading the Quran more in Ramadan, all your good deeds are said to be exemplified during this month and as I believe in life after death, it’s good to have those good deeds piled up. Every Ramadan I try to set myself a goal of what I would like to accomplish; last year was a small goal of trying to memorise a prayer which I did and which I am proud of. I am hoping to set myself a bigger goal this year as I have more time. When the fasting days were shorter, we would get together with the rest of the family to break our fasts. Breaking your fast together feels like you’re part of something bigger than just you.

The biggest challenge for me is the lack of sleep. Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love my sleep and my ability to snooze anywhere. When you’re fasting you have to wake up before sunrise and have breakfast to get you ready for the day ahead. Depending on the time of year, breakfast can either be 2am, 4am or 6am. You then finish your morning prayers and go back to sleep before having to wake up for work.

The most rewarding for me is accomplishing the fast. You feel like you have achieved something and when you do finally eat, you feel so grateful you can eat and have the ability to prepare so many delicious type of food, you truly do feel blessed for all that you have. You also realize how much you eat unnecessarily and how much time is spent thinking about and preparing food. During Ramadan we tend to cook and eat simple foods that doesn’t take long to prepare and you realize you have so much spare time!

Are there any practises in Ramadan that non-Muslims could implement into their lives, and how might it be beneficial?

Ramadan is a time of thinking of others, giving back to the community, whether it’s with money or volunteering your time. It’s about being grateful and happy for the things we have and spending time thinking about how to improve our lives for the better. Setting goals and motivating yourself to do more. This is something we can all do.

Lastly, do you have any advice to UAL staff when it comes to students and the sort of understanding and support they may need while observing this period?

I think encouragement is always good and to also be open to talk about it and acknowledge that Ramadan is taking place. I personally don’t mind talking about it and if any one has questions, I am more then open to answer them. For me the worst thing someone can say is ‘I could never do it’, which is fine because the thought of not eating or drinking for 17 hours seems hard, but in actuality the body can achieve a lot. For Muslims, we are fasting for spiritual reasons which goes beyond our day to day lives.

In search of Palo Santo – photo: Ingrid Pumayalla

Final workshop and launch event:
Saturday 6 April 12-3pm
St Peter de Beauvoir Town
Northchurch Terrace
Hackney
London N1 4DA

Palo Santo is an organic art installation made during the course of Lent, with UAL alumni Sophie Alston & Ingrid Pumayalla, working with UAL students  Kemi Ajose and Anna Marsh, alongside the community and congregation of St Peter de Beauvoir Town in Hackney. The title comes from Palo Santo, the name of a Peruvian tree that is considered to have mystical properties. The Spanish translation means ‘holy stick’.

Sophie working with Kemi and Anna – photo: Miriam Sedacca

Sophie Alston and Ingrid Pumayalla have previously collaborated on Solace Project, artworks co-produced by participants across two hospices and culminating in an installation in Central Saint Martins Windows Gallery.  Solace at St Peter’s: Palo Santo is a further exploration of the consoling nature of making in a spiritual community setting.

Ingrid Pumayalla’s current relocation to her home country, Peru, has created an unexpected opportunity to work in a trans-national way. While Sophie has been gathering sticks and weaving exotic new forms in Hackney, Ingrid has been travelling in Trujillo in search of her own Palo Santo rituals. Ingrid’s video will be screened at the launch event on 6 April.

Sophie Alston explains the process: ‘This project was intended to be organic, with the idea that the pieces made have space to breathe and become items of contemplation within the church and crypt setting. As with the way Peruvians harvest only fallen Palo Santo branches, we have only used fallen branches. It has been extremely fortuitous that just before this project commenced Storm Gareth has caused many branches to fall from the trees, meaning that the materials used to make this installation have, in effect, been given to us. The use of these natural materials, at this time in the church calendar, in these two different ways have given opportunity for the people involved in the project to reflect on the universal nature of faith, creation, rebirth and spirituality’.

For the congregation, ‘observing the work emerge as they journey through Lent, the fallen branches strewn around the church, are a reminder of the dead wood we clear away from our souls in preparation for the Easter feast. The transformation of the sticks into intricately woven mobiles – made with leaves, fabric scraps, leftover wool, old buttons – evokes the strangeness and wonder of new life.’

Solace at St Peter’s: Palo Santo has been developed in association with Arts Chaplaincy Projects, a partnership between University of the Arts London and the Diocese of London, connecting arts practitioners with a range of spiritual communities, and creating mentoring opportunities for students.

William & Mark, UAL Chaplains, would like to offer our prayers and friendship to our Muslim brothers and sisters at UAL at this time of horror and sorrow, in the aftermath of the Christchurch attack.

As people of faith we stand with you in solidarity and are committed to working to bring about peace and respect between people of all faiths in our communities.

Prayers for peace were said on Wednesday 20 March in a special service in the Activities Studio at 272 High Holborn where we were joined by members of UAL Islamic Society and many other staff and students.

An open letter from clergy and faith representatives in Westminster, London to the worshippers of the Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre in Christchurch, New Zealand

We are a group of clergy and faith representatives from seven world religions, including Islam, in Westminster, London that have been meeting regularly for over three years. Members of our interfaith forum meet in each other’s centres to foster good inter-religious relations and promote community cohesion. Our meetings are convened under the auspices of Interfaith Matters, a United Kingdom based registered charity.

All members of our forum categorically condemn the murderous and merciless attack on Muslim worshippers attending their Jumu’ah (Friday) prayers.

We express our respect to the emergency services and gratitude to all who have offered sympathy and support since. At this time of suffering and sorrow, we add our heartfelt comfort and condolences to all that have been touched by this tragedy.

As clergy and faith representatives, this heinous act of hatred does nothing other than reinforce our resolve to work together. We ask only that the memory of those who died serves as a blessing that we may all live by the ways of peace.

They are us

Bhava Bhakti devi dasi, Radha and Krishna Temple, ISKCON London
Brother Ivan Vodopivec, Notre Dame de France Roman Catholic Church, London
Canon Pat Browne, Roman Catholic Duty Priest to the UK Parliament and Parish Priest of the Holy Apostles Church, Pimlico, London
Fr Michael Donaghy, Chaplain, Westminster Cathedral, London
Imam Abdul Haque, former Imam to Westminster Muslim Cultural Centre, London
Jai Nitai dasa, Radha and Krishna Temple, ISKCON London
Lesley Taherzadeh O’Mara, Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Westminster
Meeno Chawla, City Sikhs Ambassador
Rabbi (Emeritus) Dr Thomas Salamon, Westminster Synagogue
Rabbi Barry Lerer, Central Synagogue, London
Rabbi Benji Stanley, Westminster Synagogue
Rabbi Helen Freeman, West London Synagogue of British Jews
Rabbi Sam Taylor, Community Rabbi, Western Marble Arch Synagogue
Sheikh Alomgir Ali, Founder, Tawfiq Online Learning and former Imam of the Victoria Islamic Cultural and Education Centre
Sister Catherine Jones, Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary, Notre Dame de France Roman Catholic Church, London
The Revd Anthony Ball, Canon Steward and Almoner, Westminster Abbey
The Revd Catherine Duce, Assistant Curate, St Stephen’s Rochester Row
The Revd Matthew Catterick, Vicar, St Saviour’s Church, Pimlico
The Revd Graham M Buckle, Vicar of St Stephen’s with St John’s, Westminster
The Revd James Johnston, Assistant Curate, St Matthew’s Westminster / St Mary le Strand, London
The Revd John Pearson-Hicks, St Barnabas Pimlico
The Revd Jon Dal Din, Director, Westminster Interfaith
The Revd Lucy Winkett, Rector, St James’s Church Piccadilly, Westminster
The Revd Mark Dean, Chaplain and Interfaith Advisor, University of the Arts London
The Revd Michael Redman, Anglican Bishop’s Interfaith Adviser for City of Westminster and City of London
The Revd Owen Higgs, Vicar, St Gabriel, Pimlico
The Revd Philip Chester, Vicar of St Matthew, Westminster and Area Dean of Westminster (St Margaret)
The Revd Ralph Williamson, Vicar of St Peter’s Church, Eaton Square, London
The Revd Ru hai Shi, International Buddhist Progress Society UK
The Revd William Whitcombe, Priest in Ordinary to HM The Queen and Chaplain University of the Arts London
Veronica Wetten, London Fo Guang Shan Temple
Steven Derby, Director, Interfaith Matters

March 2019

Pancakes in the Parade Ground at Chelsea this Shrove Tuesday raised £50 to help end food poverty – thank you! If you missed the pancakes this year, but would still like to donate, please visit cuf.org.uk/donate/the-big-pancake-party

We will soon be mixing up the batter for Pancake Day, aka Shrove Tuesday, on 5 March from 3pm in Chelsea Parade Ground. In the meantime have a think about what you might give up (or alternatively, take up) for Lent, which begins the next day and runs for 40 days before Easter. We will be holding a special reflective service for Ash Wednesday, 6 March at 1.05pm in High Holborn. All welcome as ever. For more information please contact the chaplains.

Pastiche Mass consists of five video and sound works by Mark Dean, corresponding to the choral parts of a mass setting. The work will premiere in the context of a reflective Arts Chaplaincy service, in which people will be invited to receive communion, or remain seated, as they prefer. The event is free and all are welcome, regardless of faith affiliation. Please stay afterwards for refreshments.

Thursday 21 March at 6pm in the Banqueting Hall, Chelsea College of Arts, 45 Millbank, London SW1P 4JU

Free tickets bookable via eventbrite.co.uk/e/55337870059

Co-hosted by Arts Chaplaincy Projects and Art + Christianity

Our friends at London Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple invite you to celebrate Chinese New Year from 4 Feb 2019 – see below for details

Today is Holocaust Memorial Day, when we remember the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis, along with victims of subsequent genocides. At a service at West London Synagogue, young people read accounts of the White Rose, a non-violent, intellectual resistance group in the Third Reich led by a group of students and a professor at the University of Munich:

‘Cast off the cloak of indifference you have wrapped around you. Make the decision before it is too late!’  More than half a century has passed since the White Rose called out these words before their arrest and death. . . . Each new generation, including our own, realizes that those words are really addressed to us.  Again and again, we feel their deep echo. . . . Each person is responsible for what he does and for what he allows to happen.  In the darkest moment of 20th century history, the White Rose demonstrated this truth.

– Richard von Weizsaecker

The whole world
is a narrow bridge
– but the essential thing
is never to be afraid

– Rav Nachman of Bratslav

“Dear Friends

My name’s Terry, and I want to thank you for the way you have previously supported winter night shelters [at UAL Carols and Pancakes in Chelsea Parade Ground].  Because without that support I wouldn’t be here today.

I was helped to get off the streets by a winter night shelter in Great Yarmouth. This was set-up by the Together Network and supported by Church Urban Fund. It was literally a life-line for me.

Watch my story in this short video here

I was one of the lucky ones. But there are many who weren’t so lucky. Over the past year, nearly 500 homeless people have died on our streets. And there are many people right now, on our streets who are cold, and tired, and running out of hope. And I know what that was like… so thank you again for your gifts.”

If you would like to make a donation to CUF Winter Night Shelters please  visit donate.cuf.org.uk/campaigns/advent-appeal

Many UAL students and staff, along with their friends and family, attended UAL Carols at 6pm on Monday 10 December in St George’s Church, Bloomsbury Way, London WC1A 2SA

The beautiful Hawksmoor church was candlelit, and a professional choir helped us sing traditional Christmas anthems and carols, with wine and mince pies to follow.

£315 was raised for the Church Urban Fund’s ‘Matching that Matters’ campaign, which means that £630 will go to fund night shelters for the homeless this winter.

On 7 November a group of UAL students and staff from the Language Centre were the guests of Canon Roger Hall, Chaplain to HM Tower of London, who gave the group a bloodcurdling history of the Tower, followed by a tour of the Crown Jewels and the White Tower – a great time was had by all.

Here are some beautiful Tower-related artworks made by the students:

Watch this space for details of future excursions

Stellar work by our UAL Chaplain Revd Mark Dean cooking up pancakes for 2hrs in the cold on the Chelsea parade ground this afternoon! #happypancakeday to one & all! #madeatchelsea

A photo posted by Chelsea College Of Arts (@chelseaual) on Feb 9, 2016 at 8:41am PST

disclaimer: this picture is from a previous pancake day as I haven’t got any pictures from this time!

Find out more about Winter Night Shelters

Steven Derby (Director, Interfaith Matters), Veronica Wetten (London Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple), Imam Abdul Haque (Westminster Muslim Cultural Centre and Masjid), Revd Jon Dal Din (Director, Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster Interfaith), Revd Mark Dean (Chaplain and Interfaith Advisor, University of the Arts London), Cherie Silver (Programme Curator, Chelsea Space) 
Picture credit: Steven Derby/Interfaith Matters

We recently hosted a gathering of Interfaith Matters Westminster Forum at Chelsea, and afterwards some of the members visited the exhibition ‘Astro-poems and vertical group exercises’ at Chelsea Space . This fascinating show focuses on Concrete poetry at Chelsea School of Art in the 1960’s, and members noted correspondences between the works on show and the calligraphic traditions of Buddhism and Islam, as well as the numerological tradition in Judaism.

We can’t use naked flames in our meditation services any more so we have to use LED candles instead. On the face of it these may not seem as conducive as real candles, but they do have the advantage of being able to be combined with a wide range of materials. We have been giving meditation participants LED tealights to take home and experiment with – here is CSM student Zhelun Wang’s beautiful sand candle:

and here is Ann Marie Newton’s lovely candle holder made of tissue paper and thread:

On Wednesday 6 December, a full house of students, staff and friends of UAL gathered for carols by candlelight at St George’s Bloomsbury, the last London church to be built by the great late 17th century architect, Nicholas Hawksmoor.

The beautiful church interior glowed with candlelight as popular carols were sung, alongside performances by professional singers of early medieval European Christmas songs.

There were readings of the Christmas story given by the Vice Chancellor, Nigel Carrington, students and staff, while the Rector of Bloomsbury, David Peebles, spoke of the message of Christmas in terms of the challenges facing our world today, and the ongoing need for justice and peace.

In our prayers to address these needs, we also remembered  those who have died within our University community over the past year:

Ebony Daley (LCC student, January)
Drew Goorney (CSM student, February)
Manfei Zhu (CSM student, February)
Ying-Cheng Lai (LCF student, March)
Zachary Geddis (LCF student, March)
Renata Rusieska (CSM student, May)
Kylie Simpson (Chelsea student, July)
Professor Chris Wainwright (September)
Ines Peixoto (Wimbledon student, October)
Paulo Souza (Camberwell recent graduate, November)

During the last carol, and before refreshments were served, £300 was generously raised for the London based homeless charity, Shelter, for their Christmas appeal.

an exhibition of work by ten recent art and design graduates
from Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London

The Crypt of St Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 4JH

5 October – 4 November 2017

Monday: 8am – 8pm
Tuesday: 8am – 8pm
Wednesday: 8am – 10.30pm
Thursday: 8am – 9pm
Friday: 8am – 9pm
Saturday: 9am – 9pm
Sunday: 11am – 6pm

St Martin’s School of Art was established in 1854 by St Martin-in-the-Fields church. The Revd Henry Mackenzie and others were concerned that art and design training should be developed alongside the religious and general education already provided by Church schools, to ‘extend the influence of science and art upon productive industry’ following the Great Exhibition of 1851.

The art school soon became independent, eventually merging with Central School of Art, and now part of University of the Arts London. Central Saint Martins is an internationally recognized centre for art and design education and research, now based in Kings Cross. However, in their different ways, Central Saint Martins & St Martin-in-the-Fields share a common concern for social responsibility based on the belief that the creative growth of individuals, within a supportive and challenging community, can lead to the renewal of society.

curated by
Angela Sanchez del Campo and Mark Dunhill

organised by
Mark Dean, UAL Chaplaincy and Jonathan Evens, St Martin-in-the-Fields

supported by
University of the Arts London and Diocese of London University Chaplaincy

special thanks to
The Vicar and Churchwardens of St Martin-in-the-Fields
Allyson Hargreaves, Paul Haywood, Anne Smith and Andrew Willson

press and sales enquiries

The premiere of Lizzi Kew Ross & Co’s dance work Being Here performed under the dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral within Mark Dean’s 12-monitor video and sound installation Here Comes The Sony

St Paul’s Cathedral
London EC4M 8AD
Wednesday 26 April, 7pm — 9pm

Book Free Tickets  |  Read More

Thank you for your generosity. Your donations will be used to support the work of Church Urban Fund and the Together Network, changing lives and communities together.

Together we can make a huge differences to the lives of families across the country who are struggling to feed themselves.

Here are some ways your donations will eat away at hunger:

£3 will help provide lunch for a child at a holiday club during the schools holidays

£9 will help to cover the cost of an emergency food parcel for a family for a day

£25 will help to provide a slow cooker and larder pack for a family struggling to prepare nutritious meals

Over 60 students and staff from across UAL attended a special service of Choral Evensong at St Paul’s Cathedral on 23 Feb where prayers were said for all at the University. This is an annual event, so if you missed it, be sure to come along next year! In the meantime, why not join us at one of our regular visits to St Paul’s – contact the chaplains for further details.

On Thursday 26 Feb we will be attending a service of Choral Evensong, where special prayers will be said for the staff and students of UAL.

Evensong is a traditional cathedral service which is led almost entirely by music, sung by the choir, and so is particularly accessible and inclusive as people can simply sit and enjoy the experience.

It takes place in the stalls of the quire, towards the high altar, a space which allows the music to resonate perfectly and foster a sense of calm.

You can read more here https://www.stpauls.co.uk/worship-music/worship/choral-evensong

If you and any friends would like to join us you would be very welcome – we are meeting on the steps at 4.45.

RSVP to William or Mark

Revd Soon-Han Choi led the prayers at a communion service in English and Korean on Saturday 4 Feb as part of Korea Day at Wimbledon College of Arts.

KOREA DAY AT WIMBLEDON COLLEGE OF ARTS

Sat 4th Feb at 2pm

Please join us for a unique celebration of Korean culture at Wimbledon College of Arts.

This is a special kind of Open House event linked with Richard Layzell’s exhibition Korea Town – Noraebang at the Wimbledon Space Gallery, our connections with the Korean University of the Arts in Seoul and our nearby Korean community in New Malden. It is also a chance to experience the reconstruction of a Noraebang karaoke room from New Malden and a homage to Korean sijo poetry.

There will be special guests, including Prof Ko Heesun from K-Arts in Seoul and artist Jina Lee, an optional Anglican Communion service (all welcome) in English and Korean, where prayers will be said for peace in the world, led by the Revd Mark Dean, Chaplain to University of the Arts London, and Revd Soon-han Choi, Chaplain to University of West London, and refreshments.

Most of all this is a celebration of the uniqueness of Korean culture and our Korean friends who live and study in London.

We very much look forward to welcoming you.

WIMBLEDON COLLEGE OF ARTS

UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS LONDON

MERTON HALL ROAD

LONDON SW19 3QA

Edited by Mark Dean, Chaplain + Interfaith Advisor

Free copies available on request

On Thursday 8 December, students, staff and friends of UAL gathered for carols by candlelight at St George’s Bloomsbury, the last London church to be built by the great late 17th century architect, Nicholas Hawksmoor.

The beautiful church interior glowed with candlelight as popular carols were sung, alongside performances by professional singers of early medieval European Christmas songs.

Familiar Christmas stories from the Bible of the journey to Bethlehem, the shepherds, wise men and Jesus in the Manger were read by the Vice Chancellor, Nigel Carrington, students and staff. David Peebles, the Rector of Bloomsbury, challenged our understanding of power in today’s world, by reminding us that God came to us at Christmas as the seemingly powerless baby Jesus.

In our prayers  we remembered  those who have died within our University community over the past year:

Jessica Cook
Henry Curtis Williams
Diana Aronstam
Fauzia Akbar
Dave Hendley
Khadija Otero Khabsy
Alex Hosking
Grace Green

We also remembered former members of staff who have recently passed away

Chris Sell
Mike Kellaway
Tony Carter

During the last carol, and before refreshments were served, £400 was generously raised for the London based homeless charity, Shelter, for their Christmas appeal.

The United Kingdom has a proud history of valuing diversity. Westminster is the tenth most ethnically diverse place out of 455 local authorities where over 170 different languages are spoken.

Following the recent EU referendum we have witnessed greater division and a surge in hate crime.

At the same time there are new interfaith friendships, dialogue and cooperation. Located in the heart of London, Interfaith Matters convenes a forum of 25 clergy and community leaders representing seven world religions. All members are committed to a common vision of social integration and cohesion, to a society in which diversity is valued and celebrated.

The Forum’s unanimous and unambiguous reaction to the recent rise in hate crimes was emphatically expressed by Mariano Marcigaglia, of The Buddhist Society, “Out of sincere and compassionate concern for all involved, we need to speak out and stand by the most vulnerable, the ones who are subject to abuse, appealing to our shared humanity. Only unconditional love can conquer hatred.”

The strength of feeling was resoundly echoed by Revd Jon Dal Din, Director at Westminster Interfaith, “In this climate of racial tension, confusion and division, we need to continue and redouble our efforts to reach out to one another in a spirit of friendship, compassion and understanding in order to maintain peace and harmony within our local communities and in society at large, because, although we are different, people of faith all agree, that the future of humanity and the planet lies in unity not division and separation. Love conquers all.”

Speaking from experience of a community that faces discrimination, Imam Alomgir Ali, former Imam of the Victoria Islamic and Cultural Education Centre was unequivocal, “The rise in xenophobic and racist attacks after the referendum is indeed very worrying and alarming. All communities must stand together to reject and aspire to remove such despicable behaviour from our communities.”

Steven Derby, Director at Interfaith Matters, credited clergy for their commitment, “We believe in community cohesion, and there are many and growing threats to this at the present time. Faith leaders are increasingly responsible for healing division.”

Meeting regularly, and most recently just after the referendum, faith leaders were reminded of Pastor Martin Niemöller’s salutary lessons; speaking truth to power, standing up to racism and working for unicity. It was entirely appropriate that the meeting was held in a Francophone Church located in the heart of London’s West End close to Leicester Square. As clergy affirmed their commitment to Niemöller’s lessons the Church’s Refugee Centre welcomed some of the capital’s dispossessed so that they too could “play a full role in society.”

We are faith based but not faith biased. As leaders, we call upon, and will work with, all political and civil society groups to write the next chapter in the United Kingdom’s proud history of valuing diversity.

Ends

Picture: Members of the Westminster Neighbourhood Interfaith Forum meet at London Fo Guang Shan Temple

More information 

Steven Derby, Director Interfaith Matters

07932 631 252

Notes to Editor

Westminster Neighbourhood Interfaith Forum is an initiative of Interfaith Matters. Registered charity 1150839.

Reporting Hate Crime:

http://www.report-it.org.uk/your_police_force

https://cst.org.uk/report-incident

http://tellmamauk.org/submit-a-report-to-us/

Signatories

Imam Alomgir Ali (former Imam of the Victoria Islamic and Cultural Education Centre)

Canon Patrick Browne (Priest, Holy Apostles, Westminster)

Fr Matthew Catterick (Vicar, St Saviour’s Church)

Fr Owen Higgs (Vicar, St Gabriel’s, Pimlico)

Lesley Taherzadeh O’Mara (National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United Kingdom)

Mariano Marcigaglia (The Buddhist Society)

Rabbi Dr Thomas Salamon (Westminster Synagogue)

Rabbi Sam Taylor (Western Marble Arch Synagogue)

Rajpal (Raj) Singh Ghataoura (City Sikhs Network)

Revd Ari Cohen (Minister, West End Great Synagogue)

Revd Cath Duce (Curate, St Stephen with St John)

Revd Jon Dal Din (Director, Westminster Interfaith)

Revd Graham Buckle (Vicar, St Stephen with St John)

Revd Kevin Mowbray (Priest, Notre Dame de France)

Revd Lis Goddard (Vicar, St James the Less, Pimlico)

Revd Mark Dean (Chaplain and Interfaith Advisor, University of the Arts London)

The Revd Philip Chester (St Matthew, Westminster and St Mary le Strand)

Revd William Whitcombe (Lead Chaplain and Interfaith Advisor, University of the Arts London)

Shaista Miah (Victoria Islamic Cultural and Education Centre / Bangladesh Welfare Association)

Ven Chueh Yun (IBPS UK London Fo Guang Shan Temple)

Steven Derby (Director, Interfaith Matters)

Tuesday 23 Feb – meet on the steps at 4.45pm
During the service, special prayers will be said for the staff and students of University of the Arts London
St Paul’s Cathedral, St Paul’s Churchyard, London, EC4M 8AD
Click here for travel directions

Stellar work by our UAL Chaplain Revd Mark Dean cooking up pancakes for 2hrs in the cold on the Chelsea parade ground this afternoon! #happypancakeday to one & all! #madeatchelsea

A photo posted by Chelsea College Of Arts (@chelseaual) on Feb 9, 2016 at 8:41am PST

Shrove Tuesday is the last day before Lent. Traditionally, pancakes are eaten before the fasting season begins. Come and get your freshly flipped pancake in Chelsea Parade Ground at 3pm on Tuesday 9 Feb.

Followed by our Ashing Service at High Holborn on Ash Wednesday – all welcome. Contact the chaplains for details

Chinese New Year begins on Monday 8 Feb.

Join our free visit to the London Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple on Wednesday 10 February at 3pm

Limited places available – please contact the chaplains for details

On Thursday 10 December, students, staff and friends of UAL gathered for carols by candlelight at St George’s Bloomsbury, the last London church to be built by the great late 17th century architect, Nicholas Hawksmoor.

The beautiful church interior glowed with candlelight as popular carols were sung, alongside performances by professional singers of early medieval European Christmas songs.

Familiar Christmas stories from the Bible of the journey to Bethlehem, the shepherds, wise men and Jesus in the Manger were read by the Vice Chancellor, Nigel Carrington, students and staff. David Peebles, the Rector of Bloomsbury, challenged our understanding of power in today’s world, by reminding us that God came to us at Christmas as the seemingly powerless baby Jesus..

In our prayers  we remembered  those who have died within our University community over the past year:

Jim Pearson
Kristina Kurkina
Synestra de Courcy
Francois Alexis
Min Kyoung Kim (known as Zia to her friends, and Clara to her family)

During the last carol, and before refreshments were served, over £300 was generously raised for the London based homeless charity, Shelter, for their Christmas appeal.

Thursday 10 December 2015 at 6 pm
St George’s Church, Bloomsbury Way, London WC1A 2SA

followed by mince pies & mulled wine
all welcome – free event

The church is fully accessible from street level. The church has an external lift in the front driveway entrance for disabled patrons. Access to the lift is via the front left (west) driveway entrance in Bloomsbury Way.

Wednesday 11 November at 2.30pm
20 places only – we will be the special guests of the Chaplain to the Tower of London
To book your FREE ticket (entry is usually £24.50), contact the UAL Chaplains.
You can read about the Crown Jewels and other Tower attractions here

Chelsea MA Graphic Design student Xiyu Zhao’s current project explores the cultural stresses experienced by international students – you can see a great example of her work above, and more on her blog at xiyuzhao.tumblr.com.

In the meditation sessions provided by the chaplaincy across the university, rather than seeking escape from the world, we seek peace within it.  This week we held a meditation session in the Cookhouse gallery as part of Xiyu’s  Work in Progress Show :

Tim Marshall, Photography Technician at CSM, publishes Kings Cross Stories where a recent post features your friendly neighbourhood chaplains. More of Tim’s work can be seen at behance.net including these images taken for a Guardian article on the 59 Club, the largest motorcycle club in the world, started by ‘Ton-Up’ vicar William Shergold …being that he was a motorcyclist himself, Father Bill decided to hold a church service for motorcyclists in 1962. He finally plucked up courage and visited The Ace Cafe on the North Circular Road and handed out leaflets about the service. He had an immense reaction. The church was full of Rockers. Even some of their bikes were brought into the church to be blessed.

photographs above by Timothy Hadrian Marshall