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"lighten and uplift
them, so that they may soar on the wings of the Divine verses"
-Baha'u'llah
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Inspired
art from spiritual infusion
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SIDCOT,
United Kingdom, 8 September 2003 (BWNS) --
"It is the atmosphere at the academy that
makes you want to learn more and become better
-- it gives you life and spirit!" said
Chanelle Fusco, 20, describing her experience at
the Baha'i Academy for the Arts in England.
A
singing course at the academy three years ago
inspired her to become a professional singer.
The
academy is held at a boarding school in Sidcot,
Somerset for a week during summer. |
Tiny hands... the first Arts Academy course
for under fives, tutored by Victoria Donovan.
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It opened
in 1993 and now provides some 18 courses open to people
of all ages.
This year's
academy took place from 26 July to 2 August and brought
together professional and amateur artists from 16
countries.
Course
topics range from weaving to calligraphy, filmmaking to
mural painting -- and all aim to infuse spiritual values
into artistic expression.
Ms. Fusco
illustrated her experience at the academy by describing
a singing course which, she said, gave her a tremendous
amount of energy for her art.
Participants
in the course sang gospel-style and Baha'i prayers set
to music, a form of learning she found instantly
appealing.
"I
liked music but during that week at the academy I feel I
discovered myself," said Ms. Fusco.
The academy
taught her to set goals. She now writes her own songs,
has moved from Lancaster to London to concentrate on her
career, and is currently preparing her first album.
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The
arts academy originated with Cecilia Smith and
Margaret Appa, two Baha'is who wanted a summer
camp for their children, one that combined arts
education with spiritual values.
That
initial concept became an academy which grew from
just 20 enrolled students when it opened a decade
ago to 260 this year.
"We
have a very strong spiritual source which of
course is the writings of Baha'u'llah, but the
artistic and educational philosophies are a very
strong and very positive part of the whole
event," said Ms. Appa, who serves with Ms.
Smith and others on the organizing executive. |
Facing reality... participants in the
performing with masks course, tutored by Jessica
Naish. |
In contrast
to conventional courses -- typically built on
competition and comparison -- the Baha'i Arts Academy
aims to challenge, encourage and empower students in
order for them to discover their hidden spiritual and
artistic "gems."
"The
energy and the power that comes from an environment
where there is no judgment, no criticism, is huge and
empowering," said Ms. Appa, an art teacher by
profession.
"People
feel safe to risk success, rather than accepting
failure."
"It's
a more positive mindset," she said, explaining that
seeing successes encouraged all students to feel they
can achieve their potential.
Art of relaxation... students and tutors
take a break at the Baha'i Academy for the Arts. |
Photographer
Darius Himes, who taught the photography course
this year, said that the distinction of the
academy lies in the fact that the community at the
school -- individuals and families together --
strive to combine spiritual values with their art.
"It
is the living qualities of being a Baha'i,"
he said. "Courtesy towards others,
inclusiveness, friendliness, respect, a deep
concern for others and being full of thought --
those qualities infuse the academy."
Mr.
Himes, the editor of "photo-eye", an
Internet-based bookstore and gallery of fine-art
photography, encouraged his group to look at the
different roles photography can play in
representing spiritual ideas. |
"Spirituality
is a difficult thing to define. Mindfulness,
attentiveness, ever striving for clear intent -- these
are the qualities that I emphasized in the class because
I see these qualities manifested in great art.
"The
Prophets call forth these qualities in us as humans.
"To
manifest those qualities in our chosen fields is the
dream and goal of humanity."
The academy
provides four hours of tuition daily. Each day has a
period of "morning focus", when all the
students gather to set the spiritual tone for the day
with the help of prayers, music and drama.
Tribal groove... a course for 11-14 year
olds. |
The
evenings are filled with musical and theatrical
performances, talks or academic presentations.
At
the end of the week the groups are invited to
share the progress of their art with the rest of
the participants.
Jessica
Naish, an English theater director and performer,
has been working with teenagers who have personal
problems. She said that when starting to learn
anything for the first time people face barriers
of self-consciousness and embarrassment but the
academy provides the perfect atmosphere to break
these boundaries. |
"The
academy is like going on a journey," said Ms. Naish,
32, who this summer tutored a course on performing with
masks.
"You
come as you are, you can start from nothing, in
competition with yourself, and go through spiritual,
artistic and personal development."
She said
that the power of the academy comes from the mutual
encouragement and love that exist among the students and
the tutors -- and that helps them strive for personal
excellence unashamedly.
The arts
academy is also a meeting point for artists from all
around the world.
"It
doesn't matter if you are an amateur or a professional
-- what makes it unique is the amazing artists you meet
there," said Liza Gerhold, 22, a university student
from Germany, who discovered photography as her medium
at the academy.
"I
learnt that art is not about putting one's self in the
center of attention but to work on the gifts one has and
share them with others," she said.
The
executive team of organizers, also including Farzaneh
Seegoolam, Aidan Matthews, Rob Weinberg and Ranjit Appa,
has started planning for next year's academy.
"We
are in a stage of transition," said Ms. Appa.
"We are planning to become an educational trust,
part of which would be the arts academy."
The trust
would also provide a forum for professional artists
where they could challenge one another and evaluate
their own personal development.
At the same
time the team would like to focus more on the
development of the arts within the Baha'i community and
explore possible ways of assisting tutors of Baha'i
study circles and children's classes.
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| Published in Bahá'í
World News Service |
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