On the first Sunday of July, as part of an IWC funded project, Eddy and Lat came to present an art workshop around saints and to look at how art can be a tool for discipleship. Eddy and Lat preached in the morning service, watch their sermon here, and joined us for our usual shared lunch. Following that almost 40 of the congregation stayed behind to listen first to Lat speak about children and young people’s artwork through the work he does in his Spirited Arts competition. Lat, an expert advisor of RE, set up the ‘Spirited Arts’ project in 2004, which attracts 25,000 entries from around the world every year. Entrants are invited to choose a spiritual theme and produce an artwork along with a meaningful commentary relating to their work and thoughts. Some of the work and thinking that the young people produce is poignant and profound. We were all moved and inspired by the remarkable spiritual insights and artwork of the entrants. You can see his talk and the children’s artwork here

Eddy Aigbe, a gifted Birmingham-based artist who grew up in Nigeria, brought several of his striking paintings, and spoke to us of his creative process, his expression of faith and of his love of symbolism. We watched a film about his Stations of the Cross which were commissioned by Hodge Hill church, Birmingham, you can watch his talk here. 

Eddy also helped us to explore the life and story of All Saints and got us drawing and writing about the ‘saints’ who have inspired us and who reflect the values of our church.