For Greenbelt Angels and Volunteers

July 2009 greenbelt.org.uk

Wing & A Prayer

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In this issue.

4 Standing in the Long Now Starter for 10

6 How, then, shall we live? The School of Life

7 GBHQ Staff picks

8 People get ready... Things you need to know about Greenbelt

Partners

9 Christian Aid Jesus Wept

10 Department for International Development Willing Volunteers

11 Interview with Sway

12 Trust Greenbelt

13 Just Peace Greenbelt’s campaign

Associates

14 YMCA Youth Matters

15 Church Army Make Jesus Famous

16 CMS Getting in on the act

Angels

17 Halo Angels news and info

18 Giving response form

19 An Angel shares Hilary Miller

20 An Act of Quiet Resistance

Volunteers

22 Greenbelt:handmade Volunteer news

23 Volunteer profile Ben Whitehouse

24 Last words Dot Reid

Letter from the Festival Chair

Standing in the Long NowIt’s with a very real sense of both gratitude and a heavy heart that I write this, my last letter to Angels and Volunteers as Festival Chair. I’ve had the privilege of being in this role for six years, and as I leave I‘m hopeful of a dynamic and relevant future for Greenbelt.

All of us as Trustees have a deep awareness of holding these positions only for a time, and a deep desire to pass on to others when that time is right. I am delighted that Andy Turner who has been Vice Chair for the last 6 years will now take on the role and Jason Barnett will join him as Vice Chair. I have no doubt you will give both of them the support you have shown to me and I know the Festival is in good hands under their leadership.

I’m thankful for the dedication of all of the Trustees, their time, energy, and commitment as volunteers and I would publicly like to note my sincere debt of gratitude to them and also to Beki Bateson as CEO without whom so much of what Greenbelt has achieved over recent years would not have been possible.

But Greenbelt has always been and always will be yours; it’s been a privilege to Chair it – but none of it would have been possible without you and your support. There would be no Festival were it not for the financial backing given and many voluntary hours worked by you the Angels and Volunteers, many of whom have become real friends over the years.

After starting as Chair at a time when Greenbelt’s future wasn’t looking as positive, there are now well over a thousand Angels providing around 15% of our annual income. There’s still a way to go, the backing of Angels is vital to the Festival’s continuing success, but the last six years have been made easier by your help and for that I thank you …

I have felt privileged to be a part of the team of over 1500 volunteers who make Greenbelt work each summer. From those who work for one weekend in August to those who give time throughout the year, each and every contribution is very much valued, not just by me, but by the other Trustees and staff team and the many thousands of people who come and who never know who we are … the Festival belongs to them also.

As I step down, it’s time for me to stand in the long now and take some time to look around at what Greenbelt means to me. It’s more than I could ever really convey in a final page, its changed my life and who I am, I’ve found a community that’s beyond what I could ever have imagined or hoped for when I came for the first time almost 27 years ago and for that I am deeply humbled and grateful.

As we build up to this summer’s Festival, my hope is that you will discover the same inspiration and the same friendship that I have found as Greenbelt moves into its next phase. Thank you for all you do and have done and thank you for the privilege of the last six years …

Karen Napier Festival Chair3Front cover: Sway

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Standing in the Long NowStarter for 10It was tough, but we made ourselves pick just 10 glittering examples of insight, provocation and sheer entertainment from the Festival programme to whet your appetites…

1 Much excitement at the presence of Röyksopp

this year. The award-winning electronic duo who hail from the Arctic Circle are garnering praise for their new album Junior, with Pitchfork saying their single ‘The Girl and The Robot’, featuring Robyn, could be the track of the year. Bridging the divide between techno and breezy pop, their music has been the soundtrack to many a summer…now it’s the soundtrack to ours.

2 The Welcome Wagon are also a musical duo but

could hardly be more different. A

New York-based minister and his wife play stripped down gospel hymns and leftfield pop covers. Their album was produced by their neighbour and friend Sufjan Stevens and though they usually prefer to play in their living room, they’ve been lured over by Greenbelt – catch an interview with them on the June podcast.

3 No speaker this year has been more talked about

than Gene Robinson, Bishop of New Hampshire. His election and consecration have been at the centre of the storm in the Anglican Communion over the inclusion of gay and lesbian people, perhaps ironic given that one of the focuses of his ministry is conflict resolution, along with AIDS education and commitment to social justice.

It’s sure to be fascinating to hear from the man himself, rather than just hear about him.

4 Margaret Barker’s work is, according to the

Archbishop of Canterbury, “a significantly new contribution to our understanding of the New Testament”. Indeed, she’s invented a whole new genre of theology – known as Temple Theology, a way of doing biblical study that links Old and New Testaments to Christian worship and has practical implications for current environmental concerns.

5 Someone who has no doubt about the environmental

implications of her faith is Tamsin Omond, who’s been arrested a number of times for climate change protests (you may have seen her on the roof of

Röyksopp; Gillian Tett; Iain Sinclair;

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Standing in the Long NowStarter for 10

Parliament). She left her job as a parish administrator in Primrose Hill to found Climate Rush – a direct action group modelled on the Suffragettes.

6 The credit crunch comes under the microscope with

influential journalist Gillian Tett, Assistant Editor of the Financial Times and author of the incisive Fool’s Gold – the story of the financial crisis told from the inside. Tett prefers explaining and analysing to deriding the bankers who started off believing they could make the markets safer.

7 Psychogeography is a buzzword on the literary

scene and prince among the psychogeographers is Iain Sinclair, who made walking around the M25 for the book

London Orbital “a fascinating snapshot of who we are, lit by vivid prose”, according to JG Ballard.

8 A coup for the visual arts programme comes in the

shape of Billy Childish, a cult figure in many parts of the world – artist, author, poet, songwriter, photographer, filmmaker. Astonishingly prolific (he’s made over 2,000 paintings for example) he founded the Stuckist art movement (after his then girlfriend Tracey Emin told him his art was “Stuck”). Billy will be giving away a free limited edition artwork at Greenbelt.

9 On the comedy front, Alex Horne brings us

his campaign to get made-up words into the dictionary. “Daft, inventive and packed with razor sharp ideas” says Peter

Graystone off the GB performing arts team. There’s a second, poignant – but yes, still very funny – show about birdwatching with his dad too.

10 Finally, we can promise a truly extraordinary

worship experiment with Agents of Future all the way from the USA. They describe themselves as ‘jalopy-gospellers’ and are planning “a festival-wide collaboration of infinite proportions” involving Twitter, ‘kollabo-kiosks’, projectors pianos and puppets! They say, “With our playful music and experiments, we hope to inspire the type of extravagant, collaborative support that yields spiritual fruit.” We say, “We are all Agents of Future!”

Jeremy Woodham

Tamsin Omond; Billy Childish; Agents of Future

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How, Then, Shall We Live?THe SCHOOL OF LIFeLast Autumn, while flicking through the Tate’s magazine, TateEtc., I came across an article critiquing adult education. ‘If you went to any university museum or cultural institution in the UK today and said you’d come to study “how to live”’ the piece said, ‘you’d be politely shown the door.’ As a secondary school teacher, and someone involved in education in a wider sense, this struck a major chord with me. The writer was quite correct: when did I ever in my teaching really tackle this most fundamental of questions: how shall we live?

The article, I then discovered, was written by Sophie Howarth, the founder of a wonderful new venture called The School of Life. Their mission, she later explained to me, was ‘helping people think more wisely about some of the most important things in life that mainstream education leaves out: how to have happy relationships with friends and family, how to find a meaningful job, how work out your political opinions.’

They do this by offering short courses, all based around the five key areas of love, politics, work, family and play, and in these courses they try to use the real world as a classroom. So, as their website theschooloflife.com explains, ‘you might find yourself discussing the history of romance in a Travelodge, the

contemporary relevance of Marx in a union office, or the pleasures of craftsmanship in a furniture workshop.’

This is practical philosophy, an MOT for the mind, brought to the High Street. Though starting out in London, their vision is to expand and have outlets all over the country. Not to be ‘boutique’ places, stuffed full of Guardian readers, but beautiful spaces where what is on sale are lessons in how to live a better life.

They are unashamed to be learning lessons from retail – something that I am acutely aware is often missing in our normal education system. They want to make good ideas as aspirational an item as that new pair of shoes you have your eye on.

Interestingly, they have also tapped into the latent church-going desire that still remains in so many. On Sunday mornings they offer ‘sermons’ – short lectures which try to ‘convert’ you to a particular vice or virtue. These are times where people can congregate around shared values, and work out what these largely Judeo-Christian values might mean in an increasingly secular society.

One of the most popular things at these sermon sessions is the opportunity to sing. If you don’t go to football matches or karaoke or church, you rarely

get to sing, but everybody knows that it has a real feel good factor about it. Their ‘hymns’ are generally pretty well known pop songs – Velvet Undergound’s Sunday Morning for example. All this is followed by tea and cake. What is there not to like?!

Having only been open for 8 months or so, these are still early days for The School of Life, but having read about them I was very keen to get them involved in Greenbelt – whose talks programme shares so many values with them. So I’m very pleased to say that Mark Vernon and Roman Kraznic (Sophie herself would have loved to be at the festival, but is otherwise engaged) will be joining us and running some sessions in The School of Life’s vein.

Jesus once said that he had come to give us life, and life to the full at that. In these complex times, with the world changing so fast, and with so many pressures on our time, sometimes we need a helping hand to access that full and rich life. So we should be cheering The School of Life on for extending that hand to us. Make sure you check out what they are doing online, or find out more at the festival this summer.

Kester Brewin

www.schooloflife.com

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GBHQ Staff picks

On the previous page we’ve listed some Greenbelt 09 highlights, but we also asked the Greenbelt staff what they were looking forward to seeing at the Festival – if they get the time off! For more information on any of the staff’s picks, go to greenbelt.org.uk/lineup

Beki Bateson, Festival Director Billy Childish The Welcome Wagon

Rachel Stringer, Head of Content Alex Horne

Karen Stafford, Head of Operations The Age of Stupid

Phil Smith, Commercial Manager Gene Robinson

Matt Stone, Programme Coordinator The Apples

Nathan Jones, Communications & PR Manager Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip

Peter King, Box Office Manager Paula Gooder

Nive Hall, Finance Administrator Belljar Go To Gaza, Drink The Sea

Linda Watson, Administrator Ship of Fools

Greenbelt staff news

Paula Gooder; Belljar; Go to Gaza, Drink the Sea

Gene Robinson; The Apples; Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip

Billy Childish; The Welcome Wagon; The Age of Stupid

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People get ready...Things you need to know about Greenbelt

The (Bring Your Own) Library

Another opportunity for you to share books you love with other festivalgoers. Bring a book and join in. More information from greenbelt.org.uk/library

Single at Greenbelt?

Or coming on your own? We’ve a stack of events planned to help you build connections with other festivalgoers, from speed-dating to social networking. For more information visit greenbelt.org.uk/only-connect

Podcast

What better way to get in the Greenbelt frame of mind and find out the latest Festival news than the monthly podcast? Find it at greenbelt.org.uk/podcast or subscribe in iTunes.

Bunting

We need your help in crafting hand-made bunting. Go to greenbelt.org.uk/bunting for a pattern and the address to which you can send your completed masterpieces.

G-Bay

Any unwanted knick-knacks lying around your house? Why not sell them at our ginormous yard sale G-Bay, where fascinating trinkets can be bartered and sold. A portion of each item sold will raise money for Trust Greenbelt, or you can choose to donate it all. Recycle your junk into justice. See greenbelt.org.uk/gbay

Daily Diary Download

Plan your Festival in advance with details of all that’s happening throughout the weekend. From Friday 7 August, you’ll be able to download a copy of the Daily Diary from the Greenbelt website for just £2. For more information visit greenbelt.org.uk/diary

Showers

Defeat the dirt by pre-booking a Festival shower online at greenbelt.org.uk/shop/showers

Kids

Save time at the Festival by pre-registering your 0–10s online. For details check out greenbelt.org.uk/children/registration

Shop & Give

Buying books, music or other stuff online? Purchasing via greenbelt.org.uk/shop means that we get up to 10% of anything bought from the participating shops. Help build the Festival while you spend.

9partner

Jesus wept over Jerusalem 2000 years ago. Yet how much have we learned since? How much should we weep at the folly of humankind today, with its brutality, its desire to dominate, its exclusion of others? How much does Jesus weep today for Palestinian and Israeli, for Muslim, Christian and Jew?

Christian Aid has a long history of working in the Holy Land. It is an area of the world where hope may seem to be distant. In the last decade, Palestinian poverty levels have trebled, and violence has escalated. 80% of the population in the Gaza Strip are now dependent on food aid.

Children are among the most vulnerable members of any society, and nowhere more so than in the Gaza Strip, where half of the 1.4 million residents are under the age of 18. 1,243 Palestinian children have been killed since 2000, both by Israeli military action and in the internal struggle between Fatah and Hamas.

Christian Aid partner, the Cultural and Free Thought Association (CFTA) was set up to improve the lives of children who live in the poorest areas of Gaza, including Khan Yunis, one of the refugee camps. It offers counselling and psycho-social support for children who have known nothing but conflict, and also offers traditional dance and music, football, singing, art, and lots of interactive games both as therapy and play. Its summer clubs give hope and a safe environment in which to be

expressive, creative and behave like children.

And it is vital that children are allowed to be children. The camp and its child inhabitants are caught in a deadly cycle: reliant on food aid and with unemployment high, young people have few opportunities and risk being dragged into violent resistance. Alongside drama and football, children and young people can also benefit from classes in science and IT in the hope that education will offer them a future.

CFTA is particularly important for girls, as they have few other non-religious places to gather in the camp. And they value the organisation immensely, particularly for the

opportunities it gives them for self-development and expression in a society that is conservative and often sexist. Shahd, who is 15, tells us that ‘The centre has helped us a lot…we’re encouraged to feel that we have an opinion and that we can say it, as girls, as teenagers…We know that we are useful and can do things, not just play around.’

Faith, justice and the arts are a powerful combination, both at the Greenbelt festival and all over the world. Supporting partners like CFTA offers an opportunity to change both individual lives and social systems. Visit www.christianaid.org.uk to add your voice to a movement calling for justice and creating global citizens.

Jesus Wept‘As he [Jesus] came near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, ‘If you, even you, had only recognised on this day the things that make for peace!’ Luke 19:41–44

Teenage girls at the science lab in CFTA’s centre in Khan Yunis refugee camp. Christian Aid/Tabitha Ross

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Willing VolunteersPlatform2 is a global volunteering experience funded by DFID and run by Christian Aid, and BUNAC (British Universities North American Club). It’s for 18-25 year-olds in the UK who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford to volunteer. It aims to send 2,500 young people to work in a developing country between 2008 and 2010. Groups of 10-15 volunteers go away for about 10 weeks – this year to South Africa, Ghana, Peru, India and Nepal .

Muna Sheikh, 22, a law student from east London, spent 10 weeks working in Ventanilla, Peru.

Volunteering overseas is something I’ve always wanted to do. You see so much going on in England and you can’t really do anything about it. You protest and you want things to change, but it’s not within your power to change anything. I also used to care for my bed-bound brother but I felt I couldn’t do anything for him. I wanted to get out of the country and do some good. So I grasped this opportunity with both hands.

The school we were working at was for three to five-year-olds in Pachacutec, a village in a very dry, mountainous and poor area. The kids would take lots of days off school, or not eat when they were there, because they couldn’t afford their meals. We all put one week of our allowance aside and paid for a year’s meals for the four kids with the worst attendance.

From 8am until 1pm we worked on building the new toilet block. Then we’d come home and have

activities - stilt-walking and guitar playing - from 3 to 6pm with another group of kids. Then we’d have dinner in our homes and then evening activities with the community - and Spanish lessons.

There weren’t enough tools for everyone to work on the toilets, so four of us started to work on the park in La Flores where we were living. There was a wall as you entered the village with graffiti of a man with a bomb and one with a gun. It gave you an image of the community. It took a week to scrape off the paint! One of the volunteers was a graffiti artist and he made a lovely ‘La Flores’ sign. It gave a different feel to the area. And then we remade the park for the kids.

The people were so amazing. That’s why so many of us want

to go back. I’ve been calling them every week. They talk so highly of all the things we’ve done for them. We think it was nothing, but they think it’s amazing that we took time out to do something for them.

I’m studying for a law degree at Nottingham University. I’ve always wanted to go into human rights and this experience has confirmed that. I’ve also caught the volunteering bug. Once you start you can’t stop. Because it really does open your eyes and it changes you as a person - you appreciate so much more. Were it not for Platform2, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to go and see for myself.

Full article written by Paul Northup appeared in Developments Magazine

www.developments.org.uk

Photo: © Sean Sprague / Panos Pictures

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According to his hit single ‘Little Derek’, it was through music that London rapper Derek Safo (aka Sway) ‘ended up in HMV, instead of HMP’.

The multi-award winning rapper has just been added to the bill for this year’s Greenbelt Festival, where he will feature on the Mainstage on Saturday night.

Sway was born in east London in 1982, to Ghanaian parents (his cousin Quincy Owusu-Abeyie, plays for Ghana’s national team and is currently on loan to Cardiff City). He started experimenting with music at the age of 11, spending much of his spare time using his school’s equipment to sharpen his music production skills.

In 2004, Sway released a trilogy of’mix-tape’ albums on his own label, Dcypha Productions. This Is My Promo, Volumes 1 & 2 and This Is My Demo garnered a rash of awards; he won Best Newcomer at the Urban Music Awards; Best of British from the Channel U Award, and Best Hip-Hop Artist at the MOBO Awards – all despite still being unsigned and competing against major rap stars such as 50 Cent. Further mainstream recognition came in 2006 when Sway’s This Is My Demo debut album was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize.

Winning a BET (Black Entertainment Television) Award helped consolidate Sway’s now global fan following. It also led to collaborations with heavyweights from America’s urban music scene, such as Akon and Lupe Fiasco. Back at home, he also performed and recorded with the Kaiser Chiefs, Craig David, Lemar and former Greenbelt headliner Jamelia.

Sway’s slot at this year’s Greenbelt ties in with his new role as an ambassador for Platform 2 – the Government’s voluntary scheme for young people, which was launched last year.

“I think it’s a great thing that young adults can go over to places where they usually wouldn’t or couldn’t afford to go,’ says Sway. ‘People might see something on TV and see some parts of South Africa, but there are other parts that have not been highlighted in the media. I think it’s a good idea that people go and see the culture for themselves.”

George Luke

Sway

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Trust Greenbelt In a year when politicians have lost it, and bankers have squandered so much of it, it seems trust is in short supply in public life. At a recent event in Edinburgh however, I was leading a discussion on ‘just space’ with a particular reference to the arts and I found myself effortlessly throwing out examples of projects and initiatives Greenbelt has funded through your generosity and trust; See Me – an exhibition created by teenagers bought up in the care system in Luton, Take One Action – a film festival in Scotland all about people and movies that are changing the world, Now I am a Person – a book of photographs telling the stories of street children in South Africa and Unipop – performances by young people in the favelas of Brazil. All this fantastic work is just a taste of all that has been enabled through you, trusting us to empower individuals and organisations across the UK and the globe, often ideas that other funders wouldn’t pick up.

As part of developing the profile of Trust Greenbelt we have decided to commit to a three-year partnership with a project in Gaza as part of our Long Now vision. Through Trust Greenbelt we hope to build relationships with and fund the Culture and Free Thought Association which works with children and young people affected by conflict in the Gaza Strip. They use traditional dance and music, football, singing, art, and lots of interactive games both as therapy and as play. Their summer clubs give hope and a safe environment in which to be expressive, creative and for children to be children. You will be able to hear more about the project and get to know some of the workers and children who benefit from it over the coming years. The great thing about any funding we are able to provide is that the EU will quadruple what we give - our hope is that over the three years we might be able to help fund £600,000.

3At the heart of what Greenbelt is about is a coming together around a shared vision with an ability to support, encourage and inspire just spaces and advance praxis, where creative responses to situations are birthed and developed, where the most vulnerable and forgotten throughout the UK and the world are given the resources to live life to the full.

Last year we raised nearly £50,000 but would love to see that double over the next three years. If you can give a gift to Trust Greenbelt this year we would be extremely grateful – if we were all able to give and gift aid the equivalent of that third pint or second expresso we could together make a real difference. You can give at the festival (details of how and where will be in the Guide) or online at www.greenbelt.org.uk/trust

‘We were invited to perform for the students of a school plagued by gang activity and violence. One of the children had been raped and murdered and the principal wanted to find a way to help students deal with the tragedy. The impact of the performance was immense and we were able to repeat it for other local schools to experience.’

Ruth Marques – Children of Brazil for ChristCulture and Free Thought Association, Gaza

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greenbelt.org.uk/campaign

Although we have for many years provided an often singular platform for these issues, we like you were shocked and saddened by the events in Gaza earlier this year. With a ten metre high concrete wall snaking it’s way through Israel and Palestine having huge economic, environmental and societal impact the land and people central to our faith are struggling to find a just peace for all. In response Greenbelt has committed to a three- year campaign aimed at highlighting the issues in what is perhaps currently an un-Holy Land and encouraging a call

to action for all festival-goers. Through art, talks, performance, music, debate, worship and film we will listen, explore, pray and act for a just peace at this years festival and throughout the coming three years.

Our aim is for people to engage with the issues, become more informed and to act as ambassadors within their churches, schools, work places, toddler groups, clubs and other social networks. We want to encourage everyone to become a Just Peace activist and commit to doing one act more than they were before the

festival including lobbying the government to take more of a stand and the wider church to be a courageous witness for the oppressed and marginalised.

Look out across the site for walking artworks, check points, graffiti walls and olives seeds. Come and find the Just Peace stand in G-Source and see the website for details of all supporting programme.

Our collective voice on these issues is an important witness to the love and justice of Christ – we cannot stay silent, we must speak up.

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Youth matters

Giving young people a voice: YMCA residents campaign for youth justice

Whether it’s cheese rolling in Gloucestershire, afternoon tea at the Ritz or a bag of fish & chips on Southend pier, the British know a thing or two about traditions. And as the weather warms up, we’re preparing ourselves to be catapulted headfirst into one of the UK’s more contemporary customs: festival season.

Every festival-goer has their own reason for braving the erratic British weather to set up camp at Greenbelt. Whether it’s spending quality time with

friends and family, celebrating faith in a creative way, or using it as an excuse to wear those leopard print wellies you’ve been aching to show off; year after year Greenbelt has proved itself to be the centre of vibrancy and fun.

For us, Greenbelt is more than a yearly get together. As one of the highlights of our annual calendar, it gives us the chance to share some of the amazing work going on at the YMCA. Whether it’s through housing, sport, parenting, education, skills development or working with offenders to name but a few, the YMCA is transforming communities so that all young

people truly belong, contribute and thrive.

But it’s not just about being proud of the YMCA. In an age in which young people are collecting a series of negative labels, we’re here to challenge the perception of young people as ‘thugs’, ‘tearaways’ and ‘hoodies’, and instead celebrate young people for their achievements and potential.

You’ve heard the song; you’ve (probably) done the dance, so why not drop by and learn about the real YMCA?

Find out more at www.ymca.org.uk

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Make Jesus famousFrom the Church Army’s perspective, the term Make Jesus Famous is not really as far removed from its strapline (“faith words action”) as it might seem. After all, Church Army has been training, equipping and supporting its evangelists for well over a century to take the love of Jesus Christ into areas where He is a virtual unknown. Today over 300 Church Army evangelists are working throughout the UK and Ireland to ‘make Jesus famous’.

This summer sees the launch of the microsite www.makejesusfamous.org.uk - 30th June to be exact. Church Army has established this site to encourage young Christians to describe how they are sharing faith in their communities. It is hoped that a fantastic resource of ideas and inspiration will be built up over time.

Communications Officer Richard Chambers says: “Visitors to G-Source will have the chance to see the microsite for themselves, and be part of a special video of Greenbelt, which will be uploaded to www.makejesusfamous.org.uk after the festival.”

Church Army evangelists will be very much in evidence at Greenbelt, both inside and outside of G-Source. They will be talking to festival-goers about the different ways in which they already ‘make Jesus famous’, through a variety of ministries.

Central to Church Army’s presence will be the Chester Bus Project, led by Rob Barker. The bus enables him, fellow Church Army Evangelist Rick Tett, and teams of church volunteers to take the gospel to the

unchurched children and young people living on the housing estates of Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, and Warrington.

Rob will be one of several evangelists hosting seminars, on the Bus, in addition to informal conversations with any visitors to the big, green ‘God Bus’ (as it is known to young people in Cheshire!)

Other evangelists hosting seminars include Paul Little (Outdoor activities), Jade Watson (Prisoners and families), Syd Henderson, Richard Waller (Community and youth) Jonathan Wiggam (Soldiers and night-time ministry) and Andrew Wooding (Storytelling).

Andrew, pictured here, spoke to the Greenbelt audience last year about his first love: Dr Who. But this year he will draw upon his storytelling expertise

to give festival-goers a chance to have some creative fun. He guarantees those who join his seminar will be helped to create a fictional character and a basic storyline, within an hour. It is expected that Andrew’s seminar will be over-subscribed!

Andrew’s role for Church Army is to run the Share website (www.sharetheguide.org). This is a Church Army website which has the full support of both the Church of England and the Methodist Church. The reason for Share, in Andrew’s words, is simple: “the people all over the world who are working in Fresh Expressions of Church need to share wisdom and advice with each other…and they need some support too!”

And, of course, Share is one of the myriad ways in which Christians can help to…Make Jesus Famous!

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Getting in on the act

For the past several months, the CMS youth team has been encouraging UK schoolchildren to fight—for the rights of children worldwide. This year at Greenbelt, adults can join the fight, too, by taking part in the theatre arts programme World to Rights.

The goal of World to Rights is to prepare a play within a day, whilst simultaneously exploring issues of children’s rights. The CMS youth team, Dave, Anita and Mike, have been using World to Rights with hundreds of children around the UK since the beginning of the year.

“We wanted to raise awareness about this issue in 2009, which marks fifty years since the UN Declaration of the Rights of the Child,” said Anita. Having seen much success with their 2007 schools theatre programme Free for All, which explored slavery past and present, the CMS team elected to develop something similar and head out for another UK tour.

They first travelled to the Philippines, to link up with CMS partner project Jigsaw Kids Ministries. Jigsaw provides a safe haven for street children in Manila. “It’s hard to believe that fifty years after the UN declaration, there are over 75,000 children

in Manila who have to fend for themselves,” said Anita. “They have nobody to stand up for them. We took a cameraman, because we wanted to be able to share some of their stories with children here in the UK.”

During a World to Rights day, which is usually held at a city cathedral, children from surrounding schools participate in educational and drama workshops that focus on how hard life was for children in Victorian times. As pupils learn how British children were once exploited, it helps them gain a sense of responsibility for others who have no rights. They are also shown a DVD with stories from their peers in the Philippines.

“I watched a little girl from the Oxford area, who was slightly disinterested at first, begin to cry softly as she heard the Filipinio stories,” said Russell, who helped at a World to Rights event in Oxford.

At the end of the day, the children put on a performance for their local community. Costumes for the presentation have been provided by the Nobakoli Girls Craft School, a project supported by the Church of Bangladesh. Nobakoli gives sewing training for girls and women made vulnerable by poverty, sex trafficking or disability.

“The costumes reinforce the message of World to Rights: understanding your own rights, and enabling others to exercise theirs,” said Mike. “We get a chance to tell hundreds of UK children where their costumes came from, which helps them feel more connected to people and situations that seem far away.”

So if you’d like to join in, don a costume and help speak out on behalf of children worldwide, CMS would love for you to participate in the World to Rights workshops and performance at Greenbelt, whatever your age. “Anyone from eight years upwards, who enjoys theatre and performance can help us create a challenging and enjoyable show as we take our audience back to the Victorian times and into the realities of children’s lives around the world today,” says Mike.

Activism…it’s not just for kids.

To register for World to Rights, go to www.worldtorights.info and click on ‘Greenbelt sign-up’. Rehearsals will take place on Sunday afternoon, followed by a performance at 18:30 in the Big Top. Those under 18 will need permission from a parent/ guardian.

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Summer is on it’s way with the sunshine getting us in the festive spirit…we’ve got lots going on for our favourite heavenly throng and we’re looking forward to catching up with you in the Angel Lounge and across the Festival.

Thank-youAll of us involved in Greenbelt know how crucial the Angel supporters are to our work and mission. The generosity and commitment you provide is an essential and sustainable source of income which forms a bedrock on which fresh ideas can grow. So thank-you for your ongoing and vital support, we are very grateful.

Re-energiseThe Angel initiative has been running successfully for many years now and reflects a shared vision and commitment to the values and purpose of Greenbelt. This year Archangel Gabriella will be adding a little sparkle to all things angelic as we look to The Long Now for Greenbelt. We plan to re-energise the initiative and add value to it with the hope of encouraging more people to become Angels, so you’ll see lots of us flying round the festival with clipboard in hand.

Flock togetherWe will be hosting a special one-off event, exclusively for Angels on Friday 28 August 7.30pm in Centaur. Throng of Throngs is an opportunity to hear about where Greenbelt is headed, enjoy some exclusive festival content, get some top-tips about festival treats and meet the Trustees.

Pre-festival packageSome of you will have already received your Festival wristbands in the post, but you should all keep an eye on your doormat for a unique Angel package that will be winging its way to you shortly. This will include an invitation to Throng of Throngs, your Halo Card that entitles you to special discounts and goodies from a range of Festival stalls, a limited edition Angel badge, a map locating the Angel Lounge and a flyer about the Iona week in 2010.

Angels LoungeAn exclusive heavenly spot for Angels, the revamped Angel Lounge is the place to relax, and take time out during the busy day. Situated in the G-Source, between the delicious treats of Pru’s Café and the Divine chocolate fountain this silver-lined lounge is open daily and will be hosting some special moments – for more details see greenbelt.org.uk/angels.

Purls and Pom PomsOnce again the Angel Lounge will host craft, with knitting all weekend and new this year Pom Poms for Peace with comedian and campaigner Amy Lamé. For patterns and more see greenbelt.org.uk/angels

Heavenly HostWith more Angel activities and initiatives on site this year we need lots of you to help out for a few hours over the weekend. This may include talking to people about the benefits of becoming an Angel, helping out in the Angel Lounge or at the G-Bay auction. If you would like to offer your time or find out

more please contact angels@greenbelt.org.uk by 5 August.

Signing up SeraphimAs part of our ongoing strategy to increase sustainable income we would like to encourage you to help us in recruiting new Angels. You are after all the best possible illustration of the value and importance of our Angel community and your support in signing up new seraphim will be priceless. Come to the Angel Lounge where we can brief you on the current benefits to get you on your way.

G-BayAs the G-Bay yard sale will hopefully benefit Angels and Trust Greenbelt it would be great for as many of you as possible to get behind it and bring up to three quality items to sell on the Monday. See greenbelt.org.uk/gbay.

Website accessDon’t forget to check out the special Angel log-in on the website. It hosts back issues of Wing & A Prayer, exclusive desktop images, MP3s to download and much more.

greenbelt.org.uk/angels Username: angels Password: high13ighTom Davies Development Co-ordinator

halo. Angel news and information. greenbelt.org.uk/angels

To become a Greenbelt Angel or to increase your giving please use the response form on p.18.

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Your details

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Email

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Please pay CAF Re Greenbelt Direct Debits from the account detailed in this instruction subject to the safeguards assured by the Direct Debit Guarantee. I understand that this instruction may remain with CAF Re Greenbelt and if so, details will be passed electronically to my Bank/Building Society. This replaces any previous instruction.

Increase Decrease New Angel

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Please remember to notify us if your circumstances change, i.e. you no longer pay Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax equal to the tax the charity reclaims (currently 28p for every £1 you give).

I am a UK taxpayer and I wish all donations I make from the date of this declaration until I notify you otherwise to be tax effective under the gift aid scheme.Higher rate taxpayers can claim further tax relief in their self-assessment tax return.

Gift Aid declaration – please complete if you are a UK taxpayer

Name

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Date of first payment on or after / / 200

CAF Reference Number 6208-03-

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CAF, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 4TA

Greenbelt Angels.To become a Greenbelt Angel or to increase your Angel giving, complete this form and return it toGreenbelt Festivals 83 London Wall, London EC2M 5ND

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Festival Director Beki Bateson

Head of Content Rachel Stringer

Head of Operations Karen Stafford

Commercial Manager Phil Smith

Communications & PR Manager Nathan Jones

Programme Co-ordinator Matt Stone

Development Co-ordinator Tom Davies

Box Office Manager Peter King

Financial Administrator Nive Hall

Administrator Linda Watson

Patron The Rt. Revd. and Rt. Hon. Dr. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury

Trustees Jenny Baker, Jason Barnett, Paul Bennett (Company Secretary), Gaynor Bradshaw, David Cullen, Simon Hall, Jude Levermore, Karen Napier (Chair), Dot Reid, Jonathan Smith (Treasurer), Andy Turner (Vice Chair), Paul Wilson, Pip Wilson, Martin Wroe

Greenbelt Festivals Ltd 83 London Wall London EC2M 5ND

info@greenbelt.org.uk www.greenbelt.org.uk 020 7374 2760

A company incorporated in England & Limited by Guarantee No. 1812893 Registered as a Charity No. 289372

Design Jon Fletcher

Print Calverts

Paper Revive 100 Uncoated, FSC certified, 100% post consumer waste

This guarantee should be retained by the Payer (see p.18 for the form itself)

The Direct Debit Guarantee

• ThisGuaranteeisofferedbyallBanksandBuilding Societies that take part in the Direct Debit Scheme. The efficiency and security of the Scheme is monitored and protected by your own Bank or Building Society.

• Iftheamountstobepaidorthepaymentdates change, CAFGREENBELT will notify you at least ten working days in advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed.

• IfanerrorismadebyCAFGREENBELTor your Bank or Building Society, you are guaranteed a full and immediate refund from your branch of the amount paid.

• YoucancancelaDirectDebitatanytimeby writing to your Bank or Building Society. Please also send a copy of your letter to CAF, Administration Services, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 4TA.

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Hilary MillerHow did you hear about Greenbelt, and what made you decide to come for the first time?

I first came in 2001 with some people I knew from university; they’d been before and so I tagged along. It was a great way of meeting up with friends in the university holidays. I still meet up with the same people at Greenbelt, even though we’ve long since graduated and never see one another from one Festival to the next.

What did you think about your first Festival?

I went to loads of talks and barely stopped to eat, there were so many fun things going on and I didn’t want to miss any of them. I loved the Tiny Tea Tent and the worship, and gradually relaxed into the Festival atmosphere rather than treating it like a collection of theology lectures in a field.

What do you love about Greenbelt?

Meeting old friends, making new friends, drinking tea, drinking beer, camping, bacon sandwiches for breakfast every day, worship, visual arts, knitting, the emphasis on justice and inclusion. Now that I volunteer (in recorded talks sales – come and say hi and buy a CD from me at the Festival please!) I end up going to random bits of programme just because I have some time off and it’s close by. I’ve been to some great things that I would never have chosen if I’d had more choice! I also find out which speakers are most popular, and chat to punters about what they’ve heard and recommend, which has led me to some interesting stuff.

What do you do for a living?

I’m the Programme Coordinator for the Iona Community’s

MacLeod and Abbey Centres. That means I live in community with about 20 long-term resident staff (including my husband, Ian), about 30 shorter-term volunteers at a time, and 90 guests each week. I try and make sure that guests have fun, inspiring, and generally good things to do while they’re here. Speaking of which, we’ll be having a Greenbelt week here in 2010, so look out for booking details soon and come join our community for a week.

What made you decide to become an Angel?

I loved coming to Greenbelt when I was a student, but I didn’t have much spare money. When I graduated and got a job and suddenly had spare cash, I decided to give some of it away each month. It made sense to give back to Greenbelt as I’d received so much from the Festival.

As Hilary mentions, there will a Greenbelt trip to Iona next year. Look out in the Angels and Volunteer Lounges at the Festival this year for flyers about our return to the Isle. Places will go fast and will be allocated on a first-come-fist-served basis. The Festival flyer will carry fuller information on costs and when we’ll be ready to receive bookings – and we’ll post stuff to the Angels and Volunteer sections of the website, too (post-Greenbelt).

An Angel shares

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An Act of Quiet ResistanceTawfiq Salsaa’s work in Banksy’s new Show

At Greenbelt 2008 Garth Hewitt gave a talk entitled ‘The strange but true story of Tawfiq Salsaa’s Walled Nativity’ Tawfiq Salsaa is a Palestinian artist and craftsman from Beit Sahour, Bethlehem who works carving olivewood.

Garth talked about the fact he had crafted an act of quiet resistance, and made a ‘walled nativity set’. This was a nativity scene where the wall stopped the wise men from getting through to the Holy Family. The nativity sets received great publicity. Tawfiq said “I made these sets as a protest at what is happening to the local community of Bethlehem and Beit Sahour”.

Now another work of his comes into the limelight. He was under curfew by the Israeli army for six months of 2002. During this time he put his skill to good use and built a model of the Old City of Jerusalem. He made his olive wood Jerusalem completely from memory. It reflected his quiet resistance to occupation and curfew and to the brutal oppression of his people. This remarkable achievement filled one of the rooms of his house and for some years he was uncertain what to do with it.

Beit Sahour (the Shepherds Fields) - is in the Bethlehem

area, where 87% of the land has been taken by the Israelis. They are surrounded by the wall and their freedom of movement is denied. But an artist and craftsman made this significant piece of work and it came to the attention of graffitti artist Banksy. He saw the beauty and strength of this model of Jerusalem and he added watchtowers and soldiers and now it is in his new exhibition Banksy v the Bristol Museum.

Tawfiq Salsaa was at the opening night of the exhibition and was reunited with his model. He said he was astonished to see it in such a place; “It looks much nicer than I remembered! I like the idea of putting watchtowers and soldiers - it brings it to life - it’s as if Jerusalem is under curfew.” It is a very timely work as many of the Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem are currently being evicted from their homes.

The Exibition ‘Banksy v Bristol Museum’ is on until 31st August, open Daily 10am – 5pm and Tawfiq & Banksy’s piece can be seen there. Tawfiq’s Walled Nativity sets are available from Amos Trust at www.amostrust.org

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As Greenbelt draws near, some of our teams are still short of volunteers, so if you’d like to help hand-make our Festival and have a great time in the process, please get in touch. Some of the vacancies are listed on this page, whilst others can be found at greenbelt.org.uk/volunteers.

StewardsLike the idea of showing people around the site AND wearing a yellow jacket?! If you’ve got a sense of humour and a willingness to give of your time, contact us. stewarding@greenbelt.org.uk

Children’s FestivalThis year we’re expecting about 1500 children on site. We have a team of over 200 volunteers and we are still looking for volunteers to work with the under 5’s. We also need a few people for the operations team in the children’s area. This role is not directly involved with children but enables the children’s festival to run smoothly. If either of these appeal to you please get in touch childrensadmin@greenbelt.org.uk

Site VibingWe’re looking for creative, artistic and practical people to help us deliver a more beautiful Greenbelt, and we’re also looking for people to do some of the planning and admin. vibing@greenbelt.org.uk

MedicsThe Medical Team are looking for doctors, nurses, paramedics and first aiders to join them medics@greenbelt.org.uk

event SafetyDo you have experience of working in health and safety? Do you have a health and safety qualification or experience in risk management? If the answer to these questions is ‘yes’ and you are interested in joining the Event Safety Team, get in touch! safety@greenbelt.org.uk

Front DeskVolunteers for Front Desk must have some experience of the Festival - either as a Greenbelter or a volunteer - plus a willingness to listen, pass on information and good communication skills. stewarding@greenbelt.org.uk

Volunteer SupportThere are opportunities for those who have been a volunteer at the Festival already and would like to join a growing team to support volunteers onsite, including volunteer reception and information desk in the volunteer lounge. linda@greenbelt.org.uk

Site CrewPeople are needed to help build the Festival — working before and after the Festival. linda@greenbelt.org.uk

AccessMaking the Festival as accessible as possible to people with disabilities and special needs. If you are a handyman (or woman) who is good with a hammer and can solve problems we’d like to hear from you. We also need a volunteer with knowledge of disability law, who can help us with compliance during the festival. access@greenbelt.org.uk

Venue ManagersIf you’re blessed with common sense and fancy a role that puts you right at the heart of the action, then you’re just the sort of person we’re looking for! venues@greenbelt.org.uk

Beer and WineBar staff need to be able to pour a pint, handle cash and be over eighteen and responsible. Also, in front of the bar, behind the bar and throughout the night we need security who can keep an eye on things, especially people who are SIA trained. phil@greenbelt.org.uk

NoiseWe’re looking for a couple of volunteers to join the team which monitors noise around the site during the festival. If you have a grasp of sound contact noise@greenbelt.org.uk

YouthIf you have a passion to help the young people have the best time at this year’s Festival, join our youth team. matt@greenbelt.org.uk

The TankCan you boil a kettle and smile at the same time? Then volunteer for our Internet Cafe. We’ll be running workshops in stop frame animation in the Tank. If you have the necessary skills to help out with these sessions please let us know tank@greenbelt.org.uk

early BirdsEarly birds, as the name suggests, get to site early (the Monday before the Festival starts) and provide invaluable setting-up help. earlybirds@greenbelt.org.uk

Information boothAssisting Greenbelters by giving out the Festival information they need – when they need it. volunteers@greenbelt.org.uk

MP3 recordingGreat opportunities from operating the PA and doing the live recording in talks venues, to uploading MP3s and selling talks in the shop. phil@greenbelt.org.uk

greenbelt.org.uk/volunteers

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I’m Greenbelt’s Literature Coordinator, which means I book all things book-y (forgive the pun!), word-y and poet-y for the Festival. This role means that I’m part of the programming group, so I get to meet all these switched on, engaged people who are on the group, which often makes me feel a bit inadequate!

My day-to-day job is working for Birmingham City Council in the ‘transforming education’ department. We’re responsible for the programme management of the redevelopment of all the schools across the Birmingham area. It’s completely removed from everything I do for Greenbelt, but the skills I use at work relate well to dealing with artists, contributors – wrangling architects and contractors is no different to wrangling artists and authors. I won’t say which one is easier!

I’ve been coming to Greenbelt since 2004. That first year, I was supposed to be coming with my then-boyfriend, but he got ill so

I came to the Festival by myself, not knowing anyone, and met the Safety Net (a network of gay and lesbian Christians) people. Over the weekend I got involved with them and offered some ideas about how the group could change and develop with the Festival, and they then asked me to take over.

So my initial involvement with the Festival wasn’t a conventional one, but having spoken to other volunteers, that seems like a common thing - they come and get involved straightaway, and there seems to be the provision of that space for people who say ‘I love what the Festival does – how can I help?’ and people are very quickly moved to the right places. There are so many things you can do to make Greenbelt happen, not just at the Festival but also throughout the year.

After Safety Net was wrapped up (since replaced by Outerspace), I was honoured to be asked to be part of Table (Greenbelt’s monthly meeting of volunteers and trustees); I did that for a year before stepping down because of work commitments. At the Festival last year I was very involved with volunteer development with June Spindler, then at Christmas I was asked if I’d take over the literature programme. Initially I thought ‘no, I couldn’t possibly’, then I started to think about the people that I’d like to bring to the Festival, and how much I’d enjoy contacting authors and explaining what we do…

My main challenge is managing expectation. There’s a tension between doing the things that people know and love and come back to, alongside the huge

responsibility of being cutting edge. I could fill the programme with names that are very familiar, but Greenbelt also very much nurtures new voices and new acts, and is there to be a breeding ground for new ideas and collaborations, and there’s that tension between what I think the audience expects and pushing the boundaries.

My favourite Greenbelt moment was communion in 2004, hearing Ched Myers reciting Martin Luther King’s ‘let freedom reign’ speech and connecting it with current events. It was my first proper experience of the Festival, and it was very moving.

This year, I’m particularly looking forward to Monday’s Book Club. It’s ‘Walden’ by Henry David Thoreau, and everyone I’ve spoken to who’s read it has either said ‘yes, I loved it’ or ‘no, Thoreau was a windbag’ – I’m sure that Greenbelters won’t disappoint. All the Book Clubs should be great – I’m looking forward to people getting impassioned about literature.

I’m also looking forward to Jasper Fforde, who’s got a real breadth of knowledge and is willing to throw lots of ideas into the pot and create something impressive and seemingly effortless.Ben Whitehouse

Ben Whitehouse

Photo: Elaine Duigenan

Volunteer profile

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Last words.Dot Reid.

When did you first experience Greenbelt, and what were your first impressions?

I first came in around 1982 or 1983, with a band called Talking Drums. We were playing in a tented venue for unsigned bands called the Marquee. I was slightly mystified by the Festival – it was a peculiar mixture of music and arts and very conservative worship, and it also seemed very English!

How did you get involved with Greenbelt?

We were living in Scotland at that time, but we moved to London soon after to search for the elusive record deal! Martin Wroe (journalist and Greenbelt trustee) interviewed the band and we got to know Martin and his wife Meg, and Martin invited me to become part of the music group.

What do you do in real life? Does it interact with Greenbelt at all, and if so, how?

I’m a lawyer – I teach in the law school

at the University of Strathclyde, teaching mainly contract and property law.

Occasionally my skills are useful for looking at

contracts, but I suppose I don’t see my involvement with Greenbelt as because I’m a lawyer; it’s because I’m a musician; it’s the art side of Greenbelt that has always interested me and still interests me, and is still an area where I feel Greenbelt can improve.

You’re involved in thePROJeCT – what is that, and how did it start?

For several years now those of us who come down to Greenbelt from Scotland have been talking about whether something like Greenbelt could happen in Scotland - not in any competitive way, but the Greenbelt weekend is not a public holiday in Scotland; in fact our schools are back by the time Greenbelt starts. We found that there was a considerable amount of interest for something that wasn’t hosted by the church but is slightly more on the fringes and that marries an interest in faith and the arts and cultural issues, and maybe cultural issues that are specific to Scotland where we have a different political situation from the rest of the country.

We had our first event in Edinburgh in June. We used three different venues in the city to have a programme of talks, some worship, a programme of participatory activities and then a gig at night. It was a taste of what thePROJECT might be about, although I suspect that thePROJECT will not be about a

one-day or two-day event; it might involve an

art exhibition, or evening

discussion forum, or a meeting in a pub – it will probably take a variety of different formats rather than working towards one weekend in a year. That was the starting point, and we’re still working out where thePROJECT is going.

And how was thePROJeCT:2 ‘IN THe FLeSH’? What was your highlight?

It was great – it was near midsummer’s night, which is a nice time of year in Scotland because it stays light until midnight. The highlight for me was Iain Archer at the Pleasance Theatre, which was a really fantastic gig.

Finally, what’s next for thePROJeCT?

We’re taking the summer off and will regroup in September, but I suspect that the next thing will be on a much a smaller scale and in a different part of the country, so that people don’t always think that it’s in the central belt of Scotland, which is the equivalent of the south-east England.

Part of the motivation for the project is actually building the kind of community that exists around Greenbelt which in some ways is as important for those volunteers as the end-result of the Festival; I think the year-round volunteering stuff is very important to Greenbelt and that kind of volunteering community doesn’t really exist in Scotland so part of the motivation is to get lots of people involved and draw in lots of talented people in groups all over Scotland.

The Greenbelt Trustees – who are, of course, all volunteers – share their hopes for the Festival, and tell us a bit about themselves.