Sunday, September 23, 2007

Birmingham Artsfest

Last Saturday I took Callie to look around Artsfest – Birmingham’s big free arts festival inside and out in various venues around the city centre. The programme was indecipherable so we just went to where we knew things were happening.

We ate out packed lunch in Brindley place during a fashion show of all things. After that we saw some Fallon Gong – a demonstration of Chinese exercise/meditation. Rather than stopping in Brindley Place where we could have made a mask or a lantern we walked towards the museum.

On the way we heard some excellent world music from one of the main stages. We peered into a bar where another really good act was performing but I didn’t really want to stop with Callie. As we carried on we then began to meet characters from Peter Pan: Captain Hook, some pirates and then just as we were wondering if to actually go into the museum the lost children came up to us shouting, ‘Are you lost?’

Gathering at the foot of the stairway in one of the galleries of the museum was quite a crowd. So we sat down and were treated to an excellent children’s choir – the Ex Cathedra Juniors – performing a blend of high church music and children’s songs. Callie sat spellbound for half an hour.

On our way back we met up with Nettes who briefly popped into the stall promoting recycling. It was a treat walking past so many more things going on and then back up the canal home.

Sunday, September 09, 2007

Greenbelt 2007 – Part Two

Our Sunday lunch at Greenbelt was a picnic at mainstage listening to Psalm Drummers. We came back to the arena to watch some episodes of Shaun the Sheep on the big screen before going to a family communion at the New Forms Café. Can you spot us on these photos? After which, Nettes look Callie to see Fischy Music while I staid there chilling on a beanbag with a cup of coffee. I think I nearly dropped off but soon the next service started and we were being encouraged to welcome people of different ethnicities and religions in our churches. I then met Nettes and Callie for tea at the Performance Café and I ended the day watching a classical concert of John Tavener’s music.

Monday morning saw me up early queuing for Callie’s token and then having breakfast with Callie outside the Taize worship tent. While she was in her Children’s Festival I went to an amazing workshop with Isaac Everett on how to use a computer as instrument in worship. I was inspired to get my laptop playing and to join the musicians in church. There was still time to look at an exhibition about Forgiveness before I had to pick Callie up. There were some very large decorative kites flying as we went to lunch in the YMCA Café and the largest snake I had ever seen was on display as I queued for our baked potatoes.

After lunch we looked around more before going to a second family service at the New Forms Café where Callie painted a picture of heaven while there was lots to keep the adults occupied on the theme of ‘heaven in the ordinary’. I caught the end of Dan Wheeler’s set at the Performance Café, had a bite to eat and got ready for the final evening. Unfortunately I was so tired after the whole weekend after listening to Ian Archer on mainstage, a bit of drumming at the Chai Chapel and beginning to explore what was left I decided to go back to the tent. Sounds of Delirious could be heard drifting across the campsite as we settled down to go to sleep.