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Creation and Creativity – Nature Up Close course

This is the second of three day courses to explore different aspects of creativity, taking Creation as the overarching theme and finding ways of making simple artworks expressing its beauty and peace.

Day One – Clayful Creations (3 Feb 2024)
Working with clay to immortalise a walk around the Cathedral and Close. We can incorporate simple words and motifs embedded in our clay and create one or more artistic objects to take home. You may like to bring a favourite poem inspired by nature, as additional inspiration.

Day Two – Nature Up Close
Observed Drawing: learning how to look closely at nature, and create a meditative pencil study of your chosen theme. This may be as small as a petal, or a flower, leaf, tree or vista. There will be plenty of tuition to give you confidence in using a range of drawing techniques. Very good quality materials will be provided.

Day Three – Painting With Sunlight (20 July 2024)
Using a special type of emulsion on paper and other supports, we will make ’cyanotypes’ to create images using only sunlight. Glorious textures can be added with a range of simple household materials. We may then wish to work into these images with watercolours to express the subtle colours of flowers and leaves.

The cyanotype in the image used to illustrate this course is by course leader Sophie Hacker. Grateful thanks to Sophie for this and the use of the image to illustrate the cover of the 2024 Spring/Summer course brochure.

About the Course Leader
Sophie Hacker’s work focusses on commissions in ecclesiastical settings, such as in stained glass, silver, textile and vestments. She also accepts private commissions for architectural glass, sculpture, and painting. She has been teaching art for over 30 years, and her focus is always on enabling each individual to achieve their unique potential.

The In person ticket course # 2422 ticket sales has ended!

The In person ticket with B&B the night before course #2422 ticket sales has ended!

Details

Dates & Times

23 Mar 2024

Expired!

10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Tutor(s)

Sophie Hacker

Course code

2422

Other Notes

A hands-on course to explore creativity, taking Creation as the overarching theme.

£95 fee includes high quality materials, lunch and refreshments.

What our students say

PhD Research Programmes

Visual Artist Claire Reed

The complex and sometimes fractious relationship between contemporary art and religion has intrigued me throughout my art career, informing my direction as an artist. It has led me to work in sacred spaces with their immediate and wider communities, to study an MA in Theology, Imagination and Culture at Sarum College, and recently to become artist–researcher at Leo Baeck College of Jewish scholarship and learning.

My aim is to examine the extent to which this creative approach might generate fruitful inter-religious theological insights within a Jewish and Christian ministry training context.

Sarum College combines an open-minded embrace of the imagination and the arts with a supportive, questioning and diverse community. Crucially for me, the Sarum-Winchester PhD programme is one of the very few UK university programmes to offer a hybrid thesis in art and theology in which the creative process and resulting art output along with a written critical component are presented for examination.

This PhD research is a key part of my development as an artist engaged with theology and inter-religious dialogue.

Read full article

Stimulating and Challenging

What is Successful Ageing? led by James Woodward

I enjoyed the course immensely from beginning to end – the seamless interweaving of knowledge, ideas and research and the linking with belief and faith.

The content was stimulating, challenging, thought provoking and I was greatly appreciative of the contributions and questions from other participants, your considered and sensitive responses and integration with your presentations.

Thank you!

Netflix, Theology and Pastoral Practice

Peter Butchers on his MA in Theology, Imagination and Culture student experience

How do cultural tropes, like those found in Black Mirror, help bridge the gap between what academic theology espouses and what the everyday Christian believes? In his research as a student on the MA in Theology, Imagination and Culture, Peter Butchers explored platonic philosophy, digital theology and eschatology, and pastoral practice around death and dying.

Rewarding Sabbatical Stay

The Revd Greg Syler, is Rector of Ascension & St. George’s, Resurrection Parish in the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, DC USA, spent part of his ministry sabbatical at Sarum College in spring 2022.

His account of the experience begins: ‘I loved spending nearly three weeks of my ministry sabbatical at Sarum College earlier this year.

Not only did I rest, and rest well in the comfortable care of the Sarum College staff, I experienced very significant renewal and fresh insights.’

The Road Not Taken

Sarum Graduate Mike Truman

January 2022

Five years ago, I told my Warden of Readers that I would not be renewing my licence when it expired in 2019, as I thought my faith was becoming too unorthodox for a Church of England licensed lay minister. As someone who knew me well, she challenged me to actively explore what I did still believe. Thus started the journey that ended last August with the dissertation completing my MA in Theology Imagination and Culture (MATIC) at Sarum College.

Clergy Study Breaks

The opportunity for clergy to get away occasionally from their own context, to have an overnight stay in the beautiful setting of Sarum College and all that the Salisbury Cathedral Close offers is hugely valuable. All the clergy I have suggested who have spent 24hrs at Sarum College have benefit greatly from the experienced mentoring where they can talk, reflect, think, plan and pray.

The support and encouragement they receive is excellent and has a positive on their on going ministry. This is something the Diocese of Rochester encourages and supports financially in preparation for their clergy preparing for Extended Ministerial Development Leave (Sabbatical).

— Canon Christopher Dench, Diocese of Rochester Director of Formation and Ministry

Retreats and Private Stays

When I arrived, exhausted and sensitive, I was grateful not to be asked by Reception were I came from, whether I had had a good journey etc. That was the kind of hospitality I needed: a non-intrusive welcome that was found in ancient cultures and still survives in some societies today, where the host asks questions about a stranger and his journey only when the visitor has rested and been given food and drink.

— guest on a private stay

Biblical Study Breaks

I just found it very refreshing – as a leader of a church I don’t get as many opportunities to step out and do courses (my fault, not the church!) and so I loved it. I think it was run really well online – which is a difficult medium to work with.

Pádraig Ó Tuama (pictured) was outstanding in his balance of getting us to engage and sharing his learning. Also the quick availability of resources provided by Sarum College Librarian Jayne Downey was excellent.

— course participant, Story Theology: Narrative Approaches to Scripture

Tutor(s)

Sophie Hacker

Visiting Scholar in Human Flourishing

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Creation and Creativity – Nature Up Close

Creation and Creativity – Nature Up Close course