|PIC1|The relationship between religion and the arts will be explored at the inaugural Fastfest, a festival of arts, spirituality and theology, which takes place alongside Kendal’s Mintfest street theatre festival this summer.

Fastfest is organised by the Arts Chaplaincy for the Diocese of Carlisle and the Centre for Practical Christianity. It will provide a forum for artists, students, clergy, and people of any or no faith to examine the links and tensions between spirituality and the arts, and to explore their own creative skills in seminars and workshops.

The Rev Chris Taylor, Chaplain to the Arts in the Diocese of Carlisle, said the festival would both challenge and entertain.

“There is often a tension between religion and artists. Traditionally the role of the Christian church and other major world faiths has alternated between that of patron and persecutor with respect to the Arts. This doesn’t always apply in other faiths, where the Arts can be a constant source of inspiration and celebration,” he said.

“We hope Fastfest will help people to explore some of these issues while also looking at some more intriguing questions, for example, are priests actors and is creativity possible without spirituality?”

The Fastfest programme includes discussions, practical workshops and seminars, as well as a visit to the David Nash exhibition at the Abbot Hall Gallery and special service at St George’s Church. Speakers include David Jasper, Director of the Centre for Literature, Theology and the Arts at the University of Glasgow, and Pamela Woof FRSL, President of the Wordsworth Trust.


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Admission to the whole festival is £50 which includes several meals and entrance to Mintfest events. Tickets are also available for individual festival events. For more information visit www.churchestogethercumbria.co.uk