Art in Heaven

Art in Heaven is an annual competition run since 2004 for students in RE and related areas. It gives a chance to be creative and imaginative about big spiritual or religious questions: It is all about spiritual ideas and students’ imaginative expression. There is a wonderful web art gallery. Last year about 30,000 entered, and some of the best are on show. Teachers and students are warmly invited to join in with their own ‘Art in Heaven’. The closing date is 31st July.

Art in Heaven has five themes for 2011.
The themes are:
Spiritual Words
Stories of Truth?
Journeys
Festive visions
God: Who? Where? How? If?
The entry form can be downloaded from www.natre.org.uk
More details about the themes
God: Who? Where? How? If?

This competition has often asked: where is God? Who is God? Does God speak? This year, all these questions can be part of the theme, and the new focus is on your questions for God: Where are you, God? What do you want me to do? Do you love us all? What are you like? Why are you invisible? How can we find you? Why can’t I find you? Where were you when evil happened? Where are the signs of your love? Are you real, or made up?
What questions would you like to ask God, and how might a person who knows everything and loves everyone reply? This theme is just as much for atheists and agnostics as for believers in different faiths: the atheist may say: ‘Where is God? Nowhere at all.’

Festive visions: Divali and Hannukah, Eid and Easter, Red Nose Day and New Year, the festivals of life erupt in colour, splendour and community in every faith and any life. Students might choose the festival they celebrate, or the one they are learning about and express its key moment, or its big idea with colour and a viewpoint all their own. Festivals are all about vision: the past is visualised and remembered while the future is seen in a visionary way. What is your festive vision? Fireworks or peace? Light, love or All Hallows Eve?

Spiritual journeys: Religious texts are full of journeys: from Eden or Nazareth, to Makkah, Bethlehem, Tarsus, Heaven or Nirvana. Life is seen as a journey in many religions. If life is a journey, then what are the milestones, signposts, guidebooks and service stations on the way? What speeds you up or slows you down? What are the destinations? In this theme, winning work will develop great creative ideas about journeys of faith and life, expressing their own ideas as maps, pathways, roads to freedom or random wanderings.

Stories of truth? Every religion tells stories, but are they true? Do they tell us the truth? For younger pupils, this theme involves taking stories they love from religious traditions and expressing the key moments or ideas artistically. Start with any story: Jacob or Moses, the Guru or the Buddha, the Prophet or http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifthe Christ, stories told of creation, parable, paradox or meaning. Add a question mark and use the stories of faith as starting points for your own ideas about truth. Or explore or question atheist or scientific stories as well as those that come from faith.

Students are invited to plan to make an entry to send in before the end of the summer term – closing date is 31st July. There will be 3 £100 prizes funded by dare2engage for entrants in this age group. A note of up to 400 words in discussing and evaluating the work is an important part of the student’s entry.
For more details

Don’t forget - you can see hundreds of interesting entries and other winners on the web gallery.
Please click on the link for ways to introduce the competition to pupils/students: 1_Enter_Art_in_Heaven_2011.ppt
For further details of the competition, please contact Lat Blaylock: lat(at)retoday.org.uk

Football Competition

Speaking Out Conference - Book Your Free Place Now!

The 2010 annual Children England and NCVYS Speaking Out conference, Under the spotlight – unlocking community potential, is taking place on Thursday 9^th December (9.30am – 4.30pm) at The Royal Horticultural Halls, Westminster, 80 Vincent Square, London, SW1P 2PE.

This year’s conference will look at the increased focus on voluntary and community organisations because of the enhanced role they are expected to play in the Big Society. Speakers Include; Helen Stephenson, Deputy Director from the Office for Civil Society, Fay Selvan, CEO of Big Life group and blogger Tim Davies Co-director of Practical Participation.

The day will also include a panel discussion and seminars providing an opportunity for local, regional and national policymakers to network with colleagues in the sector and discuss key issues affecting children and young people in some of the most challenging areas of frontline delivery

If you would like to book a place please email speakingout@ncvys.org.uk

WIN A VIP DAY AT STAMFORD BRIDGE

Enter the Samsung Fives.....

We are delighted to take this opportunity to offer you and your team-mates the opportunity to experience the Samsung Wave as the winners of the Samsung Fives 2010 at Goals Star City.

All you need to do is enter a team of eight in our tournament on the Sunday 5^th December 2010. The winning team will represent Goals Star City at the National Final at Goals Birmingham Star City on the 12^th December where you will compete for the chance to experience the Samsung Wave mobile phone (one for each member of your team) plus VIP Match Day Hospitality at Stamford Bridge to see the current Premiership Champions, Chelsea, in action.

In addition every team that enter will receive:

• FREE Umbro Football for every team that enters
• A case of soft drink ( for the first 10 teams that enter and pay £10 deposit)
• A FREE weekend pitch
• Automatic entry into a Prize draw to win 1 of 8 Samsung Wave Handsets

The winners of each Qualifying Heat will also receive:

• A Month of FREE Football ( 4 weeks of a league session or a 4 week block booking)

National Champions will receive:

Samsung wave:

• play movies and HD videos on the Super AMOLED
• Crates a slideshow and browse the photos just by tilting the phone
• Flick through your albums and create play lists with the music jukebox
• Watch the latest TV with the BBC iplayer widget

VIP Match Day Hospitality at Stamford Bridge

• A Pre-Match 3 course meal
• Complimentary refreshments
• VIP seats at Stamford Bridge

There are a limited number of pitches available and it will be first come first served so get dialling.

Kirsty Downey Assistant Manager Goals Birmingham

Star City, Watson Road, Birmingham, B7 5SA

T- 0121 326 6644 Web: www.goalsfootball.co.uk Email: birmingham@goalsfootball.co.uk

Rock the Cathedral Video Competition

For Rock the Cathedral this year we’re going to be hearing from the voices of young people at the event via the big screen. We’re offering youth groups and youth bands from across the diocese the chance to feature in the on stage entertainment by producing a film of no more than 5 minutes. We’ll show the best films on the night and the prize for the top film of the night is a FLIP VIDEO CAMERA! I don’t mind what digital format the film comes in but we want to hear from YOU! Entries by Thursday 23rd September please!!

Competition Time

‘Off the Wall’ Mural Competition 2010

‘Off the Wall’ is a mural competition open to all young people who are members of a Youth Club. Groups are invited to design an original mural that reflects the feel and spirit of their club. The Mural can be on an inside or outside wall or on large pieces of cardboard or paper.

Clubs will be asked to keep a photo/video diary of their progress which will be the basis of the judging.

theme Involve, Enjoy and Achieve

when Competition runs from Friday 1st May to Wednesday 30th

September, 2010. Judging will take place in October 2010.

cost Free to enter for all CYP affiliated clubs and youth groups

prizes First prize £200 Second prize £100 Third prize £50

The prize money will be given to the club with the Young

People deciding what it should be spent on.

entry For an entry form, helpful advice and diary sheet please contact Miranda Bailey at Clubs for young People, 64 Richmond Street, Totterdown, Bristol BS3 4TJ or miranda.bailey (at) clubsforyoungpeople.org.uk or call 0117 377 0121.

Poetry Slam

Have you heard about West Midlands Youth Poetry Slam?

This is a free web-based poetry slam competition for young people. There are three age categories (Under 12, Under 15 and Under 18) and the top ten in each age category will be invited to a live West Midlands Youth Poetry Slam final in October, as part of the Birmingham Book Festival. Assistance with travel costs will be made available, and there will be a range of trophies and prizes for the winners.

To enter, you just have to upload video of young people (in groups of 3 or more) performing pieces of poetry, raps, etc. that they've written. The website is www.youthslamwm.com and it's free to upload and enter. All entries must be uploaded by 31st July 2010.

Rock the Cathedral Again 2010

Many of you joined us for Rock the Cathedral in 2008 and know what a fantastic event that was. For those of you who didn’t join us then you chance is coming again this year on Saturday 25th September. This year the bands will include [dweeb] and 'Till We have Faces (formerly known as The Relentless Craving). There will also be circus skills, a chance to reflect in our chill zone or catch your breath at the cafe space. This year also sees a new and improved Adult Creche! This year we’re offering youth groups and youth bands from across the diocese the chance to feature in the on stage entertainment by producing a film of no more than 5 minutes. We’ll show the best films on the night and there might even be a prize for the top film of the night!

Edinburgh 2010: Youth Competition!

Next year the world church will be celebrating the Centenary of the World Missionary Conference held in Edinburgh in 1910. Christians from all over the world will meet together in Edinburgh and explore different ways of "Witnessing to Christ today". In 1910 young people were not well represented at the Conference, even though it was mainly organised by student Christian organisations, so Edinburgh 2010 is setting out to be more diverse. There are already three ways that young people can participate, and for two of them there are prizes involved. Check out their site.

Spirited Arts: Art Competition

The NATRE (National Association of Teachers of Religious Education) are running a competition to help students explore their spiritual ideas, questions and beliefs. Each year the competition sets 5 themes that students need to respond to through art, and once again this year they are themes that will get them talking, thinking, debating and questioning for themselves.

2009 themes:

Mystery!
Open Minded!
Life is Sacred
Justice for Everyone
Who is God?

Download the powerpoint that you can use to promote the competition and see previous entries here.Or see the Galleries here.

Download the pdf with further instructions and guidelines here.

Final note...NATRE especially want to engage 16-19s with the competition this year, so there are £100 prizes available for this age group!

Closing date, 31st July 2009.

Playpark competition

News from the Department for Children Schools and Families:

There is a competition to design your own play area with the chance to win a digital camera.

This could be a good thign to fo with groups or individual young people over the long wet summer!