Welcome to the Forum for Art and Religion. F·A·R· is a new initiative promoting communication between agencies, funders and national bodies in the visual arts and religion. It is a national network of individuals and organisations seeking to share current issues and best practice in this sector.
Our activities focus on Facilitation, Advocacy and Research. To explore the issues we plan to hold a conference in winter 2009. To register your interest, navigate to our feedback form and add your details.
What is F·A·R·?
FAR is a membership body whose primary aim will be to represent and address the needs of those who work at the interface between Art and Religion. This is a vibrant area of cultural production that has often been marginalised by the mainstream and can be prone to factionalism. We think that together we can promote examples of good practice in the sector whilst encouraging creative partnerships and networking.As we are aware that there are many non-professionals interested in this area we would open the membership up to those who wish to share and have access to our resources.
What do we do?
FAR will seek to promote and support those that work in the sector regionally and nationally.FAR will seek to inform and assist our membership to be aware of opportunities across the sector and to increase efficiency within the sector by
- Representing our membership as an important, diverse yet united cultural sector to government and the worlds of art and religion.
- Creating a conference that will bring the membership together creating a network for communication and an opportunity to work in partnership with each other.
Who are we?
Out of a series of discussions between professionals working in this area, it was felt that it made sense to explore the possibility of creating an umbrella organisation to represent the needs of the sector to funders, religious bodies and the arts sector. This approach has been applied widely within the art world and there are professional bodies representing galleries and curators, arts educationalists, artists and studio providers. Art and Christianity Enquiry, Art and Sacred Places, the Methodist Art Collection, Arts Council England and other faith representatives have taken part in preliminary discussions and have expressed support for this initiative.
What happens next?
We are asking for an expression of interest in an inaugural FAR conference in London, autumn 2009. We would hope that the delegates would take this opportunity to form the membership of the organisation and have an active role in the future direction of that organisation. We anticipate that this coming together of artists, arts funders and administrators, members of faith communities and government will be a turning point in providing recognition for its cultural importance.To register your interest, navigate to our feedback form and add your details.