03. Spirit of the nation

Over the past five years URI UK has been developing the idea of using the Arts to transcend difference and to build bridges between the faiths. The most accessible art form is photography.

URI UK works with communities who can provide 20 young adults (aged 18-30) active in their community and representing the faith groups. Together we create an exhibition called “Spirit of [name of town or city]”.

The Exhibition shows a number of key members of their town at work and at prayer. The outcomes of this are:

20 young adults from different faiths work together for 12 weeks, meeting in the evenings and on a residential weekend away.
They become a group of friends, learning in depth something of one another’s spiritual practice and growing in respect for other faiths.
People begin to make a connection between work and prayer.
People recognise that members of different ethnic backgrounds make a key contribution to their community and to the economy.
Young people are seen in a positive creative and respectful light.

When the exhibition is completed it is presented to the mayor at a major interfaith event hosted by the group of young adults. After this the exhibition tours every college, school, and faith and civic centre in the community so that everyone may begin to share in the concept: spiritual diversity is a blessing not a threat.

Each group takes the project and delivers it in its own way, for example, the “Spirit of Burnley” exhibition is different to others in that it shows the community as a tree. The roots, which are vital to our understanding, are hidden and have to be explored, while the fruits are hopeful.

While engaged in the project, the "Spirit of Burnley" group learnt a lot about the heritage of both their town and the different ethnic/faith groups that make up its population.

"Spirit of the North" is the first in a series of regional programmes and is being delivered in towns and cities across the North of England offering the opportunity for communities to create their own photographic exhibition. The programme will now continue to roll out across the country as part of the Faith in the Community™ initiative.

Personal Accounts from “Spirit of …” Participants
“The "Spirit of the North" exhibition is the mother and father exhibition of so many others that have been made. I worked on “Spirit of Bolton” which is half the size of “Spirit of the North” and is currently being used by Bolton Schools. These exhibitions are made by a group of young adults from all the Faiths in our community and they show an individual from a faith group in the town who makes a real contribution to the local economy and community – a doctor, community worker, secretary and so on. We don’t just photograph them at work but also at prayer. People’s prayers make a real difference to the way they work and the way they live. Bolton is a Christian culture enriched by Muslim, Jewish and other faith groups. We need to understand their spiritual position as part of their story. The outcomes of "Spirit of Bolton" were:

Our group got to know each other really well and became friends across the barriers. I have become a Youth Ambassador to the Faith Groups in Bolton.
When we take the Exhibition round schools and colleges, Faith Centres – churches, Mosques, Gurdwaras – it really helps people to understand and respect the multi-faith nature of our town.
It was good for our group of young adults to be seen working positively together.
Young adults can make a really positive contribution to community cohesion – we wanted to acknowledge that this emanates from a spiritual base."

Anita Neyyar, "Spirit of Bolton"

Anita Neyyar talks to the Head of the Anglican Church about her experience of the “Spirit of Bolton” project she has been exhibiting. Leaflets and other resources are developed during the programme.

Dan Bennett, gives his “Spirit of Burnley” presentation to Ministers and the Arch Bishop of Canterbury

01. Faith in the community

02. Faith evenings

03. Spirit of the nation

Rt Hon Hazel Blears MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government meets members of the “Spirit of the North” team at the launch of the Government’s inter faith consultation - “Spirit of the Nation” has been included as a best practice case study in the Government’s resulting strategy “Face-to-Face and Side-by-Side: A framework for partnership in our multi faith society”.

Purpose
This youth-oriented programme demonstrates:

that people from different ethnic backgrounds and faith traditions make an important contribution to the economic and community life of many of our towns;
that different traditions, religions and spiritual practices inform these people’s lives and enrich their work;
that young adults are capable of promoting this work; and, most importantly,
that spiritual diversity is a blessing not a threat.

Independent Evaluation
Independent evaluation of "Spirit of Blackburn" and "Spirit of Burnley" has resulted in the further development of the programme to make it available to towns and cities in the South. It has a central role in URI UK's "Faith in the Community^TM" initiative