Thanks to grant funding, we are appointing a Youth Participation Officer to enable young people to fully participate as Greenbelt-makers at the festival and during the year, and to be advocates and activists for arts, faith and justice in their communities. The deadline for applications is next Monday (2nd May). You will need: Experience of [...]
Synergy Theatre Project, who have been funded in the past by Trust Greenbelt, and whose production of Jesus Hopped The A-Train was at Greenbelt in 2010, have a season of new plays and rehearsed readings coming up at the Soho Theatre in London. Running from the 9th to 21st May, the Convictions season looks at [...]
6 days left to listen
Last broadcast yesterday, 02:00 on BBC Radio 1.
Jamie xx, Radiohead, James Blake and many more feature in Gilles' first All Winners show of 2011, where he rounds up his favourite tunes of the year so far, with over 60 tracks in 2 hours. Joining the musical dots - soul, hip-hop, house, Afro, Latin, dubstep, jazz and beyond.
Adele — Rolling In The Deep (Jamie xx Remix)
Gil Scott-Heron — I’ll Take Care of You (Jamie xx Remix)
James Blake — Wilhelm’s Scream
Seun Kuti & Fela's Egypt 80 — Rise
Jamie Woon — Spiral
Bibio — More Excuses
Raphael Saadiq — The Answer
Four Tet — Pinnacles
Radiohead — Feral
Chris Brown — Look At Me Now (feat Busta Rhymes)
Hercules and Love Affair — It’s Alright
A six-year-old girl writes a letter to God. And the Archbishop of Canterbury answers
And here’s the letter:
Dear Lulu,
Your dad has sent on your letter and asked if I have any answers. It’s a difficult one! But I think God might reply a bit like this –
‘Dear Lulu – Nobody invented me – but lots of people discovered me and were quite surprised. They discovered me when they looked round at the world and thought it was really beautiful or really mysterious and wondered where it came from. They discovered me when they were very, very quiet on their own and felt a sort of peace and love they hadn’t expected.
Then they invented ideas about me – some of them sensible and some of them not very sensible. From time to time I sent them some hints – specially in the life of Jesus – to help them get closer to what I’m really like.
But there was nothing and nobody around before me to invent me. Rather like somebody who writes a story in a book, I started making up the story of the world and eventually invented human beings like you who could ask me awkward questions!’
And then he’d send you lots of love and sign off.
I know he doesn’t usually write letters, so I have to do the best I can on his behalf. Lots of love from me too.
+Archbishop Rowan
Connie stay
Great positives of having a one year old staying with you
1. You don't need an alarm clock.
2. You never need to tidy up because she does a rewind every 5 minutes
3. You never need an armchair because you can't follow her quick enough from sitting position.
4. Not one thing is moved around the flat EVERYTHING is moved around the flat.
5. Every facial expression is a delightful reminder of innocence growth and adventure. And Grandparents have a glorious opportunity to be reminded that growth does not reside in a place called comfortable.
Church
Easter Day
Communion bread/wine
taken to a wheelchair user
others may need it to be taken?
Others would run?
Church
Baby distractions
visual distractions
human distractions
noise distractions
shuffling distractions
comfortable in skin distractions
uncomfortable in skin distractions
just like real life
welcome here God and humankind
to a bustling life
to an exciting life
to a distracting life
get used to it
Affectionately known as Greenbelt’s little sister, Solas Festival, is running for its second year in Wiston, South Lanarkshire on the 24th-26th June this year. Join us on our beautiful rural site at the height of the Scottish summer, the weekend closest to the Summer Solstice, when the sun barely sets. Read on for highlights from [...]
PIPSPOEM
=========
alcoholic at birth
mothers addiction
father loss disaster later
fateful crack overdose
and years of homes
sometimes called 'care'
mother herself
all too young
very young
without parental models
inadequate
sometimes called 'it's the parents fault'
raped and abused
abused and robbed
fragmented like hell
sometimes called 'tormented'
drugs and crime
crime and drugs
suck the life
drain the soul
shred the person
sometimes called 'deprivation'
ymca hostel
mission to care
mission to support
mission to develop
sometimes called 'hope'
as thin as a rake
loud and screaming
tearful and down
always a name call
always my name
sometimes called 'erratic'
drugs on
off drugs
relationships on
chemical relationship on
struggle to sustain
loved and hated
sometimes called 'dependent'
alone on her own
found on her own
died on her own
lay still on her own
only chemical friends
sometimes called 'overdose'
tears of the crowd
loss in community
death lurks us all
quiet at last
tears run silent
sobs rack deep
world loses a character
sometimes called 'bereavement'
how do I feel
the feelings are deep
she was driving blind
foot on disaster
hard as nails
fragile and bruised
beautifully broken
sometimes called 'love'
creator loved
creator loves
precious child
valuable life
loss loss loss
sometimes called 'a waste'
never lived
only survived
we need to care
in life
before death
we need to love
more-so the broken
more-so the damaged
more-so when it's impossible
more-so before it is too late
sometimes called 'reflective learning'
let these little ones
come to me
of such
is
the kingdom of heaven
the master said
the master repeats
now
when it matters
he retains the loving
continues the loving
the creator of love
keeps showing us
teaching us
demonstrating to us
sometimes called
'eternal love
everlasting love
to a person
for a person
we will remember eternally and everlasting'
pip wilson
She was found dead on Easter Day.
The imagination is sometimes regarded as a bogus gift of God.
We extol it in children yet suspect it in adults.
Here the case is made for it being an essential element for a lively faith
and satisfying life.
More outrageous perhaps is the claim that you can’t understand the Bible without it.
CD £4.50 / MP3 £3.50
Here's some more lineup announcements for Greenbelt 2011, with the final Mainstage headliner, and a few more names to encourage you to purchase your ticket. Don't forget, you can get 20% off your ticket if you book before the 30th of April – you've got one week to make the most of this amazing offer! [...]
Passion/When I was 25 and MrsBeautiful 21/we got married./Me became we./We had been kissing for three years./First date at the Cavern Club/Beat groups on the bill/one called Beat-les)/Passion
Passion/When I was 26 and MrsBeautiful 22/read this in Gutter Feelings/first book/still available by a deep trawl of the internet/JoanMe left/Passion
Passion/@26 I left behind my engineering&hometown/to be House-parents/Prison for children/Burning bridges/but never relationships/never faith/Passion
Passion/lived on d job every/5different pins onGPS map/always young humans/always living on d edge/we:me/29 years/Passion
Passion/No regrets/being fat uneducated working class lad/moved in faith&mission/beyond dreams/awareness and skill/Scars+Learning in synergy/Passion
Passion/My faith changed/Somehow the conservative bubble burst/Someone greater than me/holding the pins/Passion
Passion/I became radical/Left behind the words should&aught/journeyed 2reside2 place called uncomfortable/where growth resides/Passion
Passion/My awareness changed/skills changed/Life wondrous/Joy&tears flowed mingled down/University of Life/Highest qualifications/always SCARS Passion
Passion
I have discovered some of the wonders
of emotion
of spirituality
of Loveology
of deep relationships
of living taking the mask off
of communicating with Blob Tree blobs
of being sick with fear
of fumbling into group work
of having teeth knocked out
of stumbling into training
of one set of footprints in the sand
of the essential need for team work
of creating developmental exercise
of learning how to weep at injustice
of learning how to sit in the gutter
of always living with change as normal
of learning how to feel for and with the bruised/of learning that I have only learned a bit/Passion
Passion/I have discovered some of the wonders/of emotion/of spirituality/of Loveology/of deep relationships/of living taking the mask off/of communicating with Blob Tree blobs/of being sick with fear/PASSION
Passion/I have discovered wonders/of fumbling into group work/of having teeth knocked out/of stumbling into training/of one set of footprints in the sand/Passion
Passion/of the essential need for team work/of creating developmental exercise/of learning how to weep at injustice/of learning how to sit in the gutter/Passion
Passion/of always living change as normal/of learning how to feel for&with the bruised/of learning that I have only learned a bit/Passion
Passion/not to settle down/I realise I am getting older/Only my body/Maybe not as long in the hours as I used to be/Passion
Passion/time4change & I know it/Journey locked in the GPS/not know destination/And divine sat nav to have faith in/Not only about the journey/and turn by turn navigation/also/the destination/Passion
Passion/tho weak/Vulnerability=ability/PASSIONWEEK
The Last BK
He looked like he’d lost a pound and found a penny.
He wanted the normal box meal
But said he’d go large on the Pepsi.
He took a handful of straws.
When I next looked up (it was a busy night)
He was surrounded by a gang of mates.
Funny thing was, they all seemed to be drinking from his cup
And sharing his burger.
I was going to tell the manager.
After all, if they come in here,
They can’t eat someone else’s food, can they?
We’ll go out of business.
Just then, one of the gang got up and walked out.
He looked real guilty.
Then the girl arrived.
The one who was living rough, on the streets.
You can spot ‘em –and smell ‘em - a mile off.
She went up to him and gave him a brand new iPod.
He was choked.
His mates accused her of nicking it
But she said it was kosher, she’d earned it.
I overheard her say, with a smile:
‘You can listen to it when they stick you in the cells.’
Then he said to all of them:
‘This is it. The last BK.
We won’t meet again like this
Until my Dad takes us all out for a feast.
Stick together – it’s going to be a long night.’
He spilled some ketchup on his hands
But the girl wiped it clean for him.
They looked at each other
Like they were sharing a secret.
Then the cops arrived
And he was bundled out into a big black van.
One of his mates pulled out a knife but he shouted at them:
‘Put it away. It’s not what we’re about.’
The manager spoke to the cops out front.
Apparently, his mate had grassed him up.
He was about to blow up the American embassy, or something.
Terrorist suspect. (Later though, I heard he was stitched up.)
While I was clearing his table
I found his iPod in the corner, behind a chair.
The first song was ‘You’ve got the love’ by Florence and the Machine:
“Sometimes I feel like throwing my hands up in the air
I know I can count on you
Sometimes I feel like saying "Lord, I just don't care"
But you've got the love I need to see me through
Sometimes it seems that the going is just too rough
And things go wrong no matter what I do
Now and then it seems that life is just too much
But you've got the love I need to see me through
When food is gone, you are my daily meal
When friends are gone, I know my Saviour's love is real
Your love is real.”
I never saw him again.
First Swimming Lessons
I swim inside her
Stretching, then floating
In liquid-space
Bouncing off rubber walls
Careering into cavernous flesh
Performing double somersaults with ease
As the days pass
I become constricted
Snug
Warm
Enfolded
My feather-heart beats gently
My toenails sprout
I want to stay here forever
Then it gets intense
Pressure from all sides
Something is pushing hard
I have no choice
But to hang on
Time to exit – into what?
Suddenly – no more water
The push of air in my throat
The dead bump of dry land
No one holds me anymore
I am let loose in the world
To swim against the tide
by my friend
Peter Barratt
