Of Voices/Pathways
Summary: An anchor exhibition with a series of public events.
Overview: This year’s summer programme explores the role of artists and craft makers as they respond to the climate and ecological crisis through an expanded concept of public liturgy. Our English word ‘liturgy’ derives from the Greek word leitourgia, which can be broadly translated as ‘the people’s work’ or ‘the work that people do’. The work on display, and the accompanying events, respond to the climate and ecological crisis by articulating voices/pathways of creative resistance and ecological renewal. Whether framed within the language of secular or spiritual practice, these expanded forms of art/craft/film/liturgy have the power to re-root and re-route us; to transform us by any other name.
Exhibition
Where: A+E project space, located in the Chapter House, St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, Edinburgh – access via Manor Place
When: 4th to 27th August, Monday to Saturday, 10am-5pm, Sunday, 12-5pm (closed for lunch 1-1.45pm)
Closed all day: 16th August
The Coat of Hopes
Summary: A coat stitched with patches symbolising the hope’s of individuals and communities – originally made, worn and walked from the South Coast of England to Glasgow for COP26. Visitors are invited to put on the Coat and engage with its story.
Overview: The Coat of Hopes is an expanded craft practice – literally, a coat stitched with patches – made, worn and walked from the South Coast of England to Glasgow in 2021, (in London joining fellow pilgrims on the Camino to COP26). Since then the Coat has been travelling around Britain by invitation. It now commences a new chapter in its journey, walking from Glasgow to Edinburgh, leaving Glasgow on the 30th July to arrive at St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, Edinburgh on the 3rd August. On arrival at the Cathedral the Coat will take up its position in the A+E project space, where visitors will be invited to put on the Coat and engage with its story. After a month in Edinburgh, the Coat will then continue its troubadour pilgrimage on foot, heading south. More information about the Coat and how to engage with its journey can be found here.
Of Walking on Thin Ice (Camino to COP26)
Daily screenings between 2-3pm
Summary: A 55 minute B&W 16mm film documentary by artist filmmaker Benjamin Wigley. Of Walking on Thin Ice follows the story of climate activist-walkers as they travel across England and Scotland to raise awareness of the climate and ecological crisis in the lead-up to COP26.
Overview: Of Walking on Thin Ice (Camino to COP26) is a 55 minute B&W 16mm film documentary by artist filmmaker Benjamin Wigley (ART DOCS). It follows the story of climate activist-walkers accompanied by the Coat of Hopes as they travel across England and Scotland to attend the world climate summit, held in Glasgow, in November 2021. This is an immersive and poetic film memory of the Camino, capturing footage of landscapes, the slow and quick movements of flag-waving, and the ethereal sound of unseen voices sharing reflections. Ben walked with the pilgrims; rigging himself with binaural microphones and shooting on 16mm film on his Bolex camera, which he then developed, by hand. Following its residency at the Cathedral, the film will be made available for community screenings across Scotland as part of Take One Action’s Community Film Clubs Initiative. More information about the film can be found here and a press release about the film and the opening event can be found below – see Events.
Keepers of the Soil
Summary: An embroidered cape depicting the soil/food web – originally made by Natalie Taylor for the Pilgrimage for COP26. Now expanded to incorporate a larger body of work exploring the ecology of soil and our dependence upon it.
Overview: Artist Natalie Taylor celebrates the hidden life beneath our feet, exploring our vital relationship with soil, the people who care for it, and the food production systems that rely on it. In the context of Of Voices/Pathways, Natalie presents Keepers of the Soil – literally, an embroidered cape depicting the soil/food web of which we are a part – a work originally made for the Pilgrimage for COP26, a walk from Dunbar to Glasgow in October 2021. Since that time, Keepers of the Soil has continued its metaphorical journey; expanding to become a larger body of work exploring the ecology of soil and our dependence upon it. For more information about Natalie Taylor and her work see here.
Events
Locations vary – see below
Coat of Hopes: Walk and Film Screening – an expanded cinema event
When: Thursday 3rd August, 9am-5pm (walk), 5.30-6pm (welcoming ceremony), 7-9pm (film screening and discussion)
Where: Start: Priory Church, South Queensferry – Finish: St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, Edinburgh
Summary: A walk from South Queensferry to Edinburgh followed by a screening of Ben Wigley’s documentary film, Of Walking on Thin Ice. (Join us for both or one of these events.)
Overview: Join the Coat of Hopes on the final day of their five day walk from Glasgow to Edinburgh, followed by an evening screening of Ben Wigley’s documentary film, Of Walking on Thin Ice. This is a chance to meet with, and walk with, the Coat of Hopes, and to explore the expanded possibilities of a social practice where activism meets art and cinema.
This is an event in two halves – feel free to join both or one of these events:
1. a walk from South Queensferry to Edinburgh (9am-5pm) – starting the walk outside Priory Church, Hopetoun Rd, South Queensferry, EH30 9RB.
2. a film screening and post-screening discussion at St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, Palmerston Place, Edinburgh, EH12 5AW (7-9pm).
For more information about the Coat of Hopes’ walk from Glasgow to Edinburgh, or to get involved, see here.
For more information about Ben’s film see here.
Note: If you’re booking for both events, that’s great. If you’re only booking for one of these events please message A+E here to specify which one. (Sorry for the extra online hassle.)
Free. Donations welcome on the day. Booking via Eventbrite.
The full press release can be accessed here:
Hope’s Work – with Jonathan Baxter, David Gee and Barbara Keal
When: Friday 4th August, 1-4pm
Where: Song School (next to Walpole Hall) – located in the grounds of St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral – access through the car park via Manor Place
Summary: A talk and workshop about hope.
Overview: Located in St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral’s Song School, surrounded by Phoebe Anna Traquair’s murals illustrating the Benedicite Omnia Opera, this event asks us to consider what grounds we have for hope. Following a short introduction by Jonathan Baxter, curator of the A+E programme and embedded artist at St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, David Gee, activist and author of Hope’s Work: Facing the Future in an Age of Crises, will begin the session by sharing thoughts on hope and where he believes hope can be found. David writes: ‘In this disturbed age, how can we face a future that can be hard even to find? Drawing on Phoebe Anna Traquair’s visionary murals in the Cathedral, we’ll be asking what commitments, held in our character, communities and cultures, might shape a richer politics.’ Responding to David’s perspective on hope, Barbara Keal, initiator and co-maker of the Coat of Hopes, will introduce the Coat with some stories from its journey, illuminating the Coat’s work as a carrier of hopes. This will be followed by a sharing circle in which each person may wear or hold the Coat as they reflect on where they seek and where they find hope in this time of multiple crises.
Find out more about David’s work here and the Coat of Hopes above.
Free, but a recommended minimum donation of £3.50 to cover running costs is encouraged. If you can afford to pay more, please do. Booking via Eventbrite.
Public Liturgy: Crisis or Opportunity? – with Jonathan Baxter, Rev Dr Marion Chatterley and Barbara Keal
When: Saturday 5th August, 2.15-3.15pm (in-person conversation) 3.15-3.45pm (Q+A)
Where: St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, Resurrection Chapel
Summary: An in-person conversation and Q&A exploring the relationship between art, craft and public liturgy.
Overview: Whether framed within the language of secular or spiritual practice, artists and craft makers are increasingly adopting liturgical forms within their practice, forms that were once the reserve of religious organisations. What are the roots of this practice, and what can it teach us about the changing nature of art and religion in a time of climate and ecological crisis? Who are the priests and who are the prophets? What is profane and what is sacred? Or have these distinctions finally collapsed?
Who: Jonathan Baxter is an embedded artist at St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, his work addresses the climate and ecological crisis in various media and contexts. Rev Dr Marion Chatterley is Vice-Provost at St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, her interests include liturgical reform and the porous nature of Christian identity. Barbara Keal is the initiator and co-maker of the Coat of Hopes, a walking project that carries the hopes of ordinary people as they live with and respond to the climate and ecological crisis.
For more information about the Coat of Hopes and its residency at St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, see above.
Free, but a recommended minimum donation of £3.50 to cover running costs is encouraged. If you can afford to pay more, please do. Booking via Eventbrite.
Deep Time Walk – with Robert Woodford
When: Friday 11th August, 10am-1pm (walk) 1-1.45pm (group discussion/feedback)
Where: St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, Song School (meeting place – access via the car park, off Manor Place) – Water of Leith (walk) – Chapter House (discussion)
Summary: A transformative walking experience connecting deep time, the climate emergency and the more-than-human world.
Overview: Starting at the St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, Song School, surrounded by Phoebe Anna Traquair’s murals illustrating the Benedicite Omnia Opera, this circular walk, led by Robert Woodford, former chorister at the Cathedral and co-founder and Executive Director of Deep Time Walk, offers a transformative journey through 4.6bn years of Earth history via a 4.6km guided walk. This is an invitation to view the world differently, encouraging positive action and advocacy for a regenerative Earth. With each step = 500,000 years, 1 metre = 1 million years, this “head-body-heart” experience combines science, body movement and the sensations of connection with the richness of our ancestral heritage. Numerous exercises and questions will punctuate the walk and stimulate exchanges within the group of participants. By the end, you’ll feel the immensity of linear time – the time it took for life to evolve and perceive the interconnectedness of all life on Earth. It’s a time-space that links the great history of life with the current challenges facing our society, and inspires us to take action for the transition. Based on the work of Deep Ecology, this nature walk is an opportunity to learn, recharge and reconnect.
Find out more about Robert’s work with Deep Time Walk here.
Free, but a recommended minimum donation of £3.50 to cover running costs is encouraged. If you can afford to pay more, please do. Booking via Eventbrite.
Soil Celebration – with Natalie Taylor
When: Saturday 19th August, 11am-3.30pm (with a lunch break from 1-2pm)
Where: St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, Resurrection Chapel
Summary: A participatory art workshop, open to all ages and abilities.
Overview: In this communal act of celebrating soil, artist Natalie Taylor, initiator and co-maker of Keepers of the Soil, invites you to make pigments from soils located in the grounds of St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, adding to a collective artwork within the Resurrection Chapel. This artwork will respond to the fact that for every ten mouthfuls of food we eat, nine and a half mouthfuls depend upon soil.
This is a family friendly event – all ages welcome (children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult).
Free, but a recommended minimum donation of £3.50 to cover running costs is encouraged. If you can afford to pay more, please do. Booking via Eventbrite. Drop-in visitors also welcome.
Future Foraging – with Ian Edwards
When: Thursday 24th August, 2-4pm
Where: Meeting at the A+E project space, located in the Chapter House, St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, Edinburgh – access via Manor Place
Summary: A family friendly foraging walk for the curious and the committed.
Overview: Join Ian Edwards, passionate forager, ecologist and Research Associate, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, for a family friendly foraging walk along the Water of Leith. Foraging for even a small part of our diet can make a significant improvement to our health and connects us in a very direct way with the living world all around us. The Water of Leith is home for a diverse range of edible and useful plants, all with interesting stories. What can we learn from the past and what potential is there for wild plants to sustain us in the future?
Meeting in the A+E project space, located in the Chapter House at St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, the walk will briefly engage with the Cathedral grounds before moving to the Water of Leith where the main forging walk will take place.
This is a family friendly event – all ages welcome (children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult).
Free, but a recommended minimum donation of £3.50 to cover running costs is encouraged. If you can afford to pay more, please do. Booking via Eventbrite.
Of Voice/Pathways is programmed in collaboration with St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, Edinburgh and the Just Festival.
A+E 