Robert George, Simmer Down I, 2021 at the 12th-century former chapel of Urishay Castle.
Photo by Mud and Thunder
Open to all
Join us this September for a weekend in the beautiful area of the Black Mountains around Monmouthshire and Herefordshire in England/Wales border country with talks, walks and an art trail in churches curated by Jacquiline Creswell for A+C exploring the theme of ‘Vessel’.
PROGRAMME
Start: Friday 13 September 5.30pm St Mary's Priory, Abergavenny (join our optional Llandaff Cathedral guided tour in Cardiff at 12:30 for an extra £20)
Finish: Sunday 15 September 4.45pm Abergavenny Station
The weekend will begin with a lecture by Rev’d Canon Jarel Robinson-Brown at 5.30pm at St Mary's Priory, Abergavenny on Friday. His lecture is titled ‘Living Stones: Buildings, Bodies and Spirit’.
The lecture is followed by drinks and finger food supper at St Mary’s.
There is also a Sung Vespers in the Church at 7pm.
On Saturday morning we’ll visit three of the churches on the ‘Vessel’ art trail (St Mary's, Llanfair Kilgeddin, St Cadoc’s Llangattock Vibon Avel and Castle Chapel Urishay) led by Jacquiline Creswell, curator of the art trail and a trustee of A+C.
After a picnic lunch at Urishay, we’ll return to St Mary's Priory, Abergavenny for a panel discussion on curating and organising art within very rural churches and chapels. Panellists will include curator Jacquiline Creswell, the artists Andrew Bick, Jane Sheppard and Steinunn Thórarinsdóttir, and Rachel Morley, director of Friends of Friendless Churches. Chaired by Laura Moffatt, director of A+C.
The day will conclude with a performance at 5pm by the artist Holly Slingsby drawing on the iconography of remarkable 15th-century Tree of Jesse within St Mary’s.
There will be an informal gathering and celebration afterwards.
Attendees have the rest of their evening free.
On Sunday, attendees are invited to join either at 10.30am for the Eucharist Service at Dore Abbey or at 11.30am when the tour of the artworks continues, followed by a picnic lunch in the Abbey’s orchard, after which we’ll continue visiting the remaining churches on the art trail: St David's Llangeview, St Michael and All Angels, Gwernesey and St Jerome's Llangwm. A short optional walk near St Jerome’s will end the day.
TRANSPORT
Attendees are asked to make their own travels arrangements to Abergavenny on Friday. All other transport during the weekend will be provided but if attendees wish to drive their own cars they are welcome to do so, (see reduced tickets prices). For those travelling by train there will be a drop-off at Abergavenny Station on Sunday afternoon at 4:45pm.
ACCOMMODATION
Attendees are asked to book their own accommodation in or near Abergavenny.
We recommend looking at https://www.visitabergavenny.co.uk/accommodation_type/bbs-guest-houses/
to suit your needs. Or choose from this list of recommended B&Bs and pubs with accommodation:
Pen-Y-Dre Farm, Llanvihangel Crucorney https://penydre.co.uk/
Great Park Barn, near Llanvihangel Crucorney http://great-park-barn-bed-breakfast.hotels-wales.com/en/
Celyn Farm, Forest Coal Pit https://celynfarm.co.uk/
The Old Rectory at Llangattock Lingoed https://www.visitmonmouthshire.com/accommodation/the-old-rectory-p1500121
Hunters Moon Inn at Llangattock Lingoed https://www.hunters-moon-inn.co.uk/
The Crown Inn, Longtown https://crowninnlongtown.co.uk/
For a self catering, bigger groups:
Bunk Barn at Llanthony Priory https://www.llanthonybunkbarn.co.uk/
Bunk House at Llwyn Celyn https://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/
Please email admin@artandchristianity.org if you’re interested in a group booking.
SPEAKERS
Jarel Robinson Brown
Father Jarel Robinson-Brown is Vicar of St German’s Church, Adamsdown, Cardiff. He was prior to this Assistant Curate at St Botolph-without-Aldgate and Holy Trinity Minors in the City of London. He is Visiting Scholar at Sarum College, Salisbury and Co-Chair of the LGBT+ Christian Charity OneBodyOneFaith. Jarel trained for ordination at Wesley House, Cambridge from 2010 – 2013 and served as Ordinand at Clare College, Cambridge. From 2013 – 2018 he served as Minister of St Andrew’s Methodist Church and Rumney Methodist Church in South Wales, then Minister of Trinity Methodist Church, Plumstead and Abbey Wood Methodist Church. From 2019 – 2021 he served as Associate Chaplain at King’s College London and in the Parish of Putney. In 2021 he was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon on the Feast of St Thomas and priest on the Feast of St Andrew. In September 2023, Archbishop Andrew John, Primate of Wales made Jarel Canon Preacher of St Deiniol’s Cathedral, Bangor. In November 2023 he was made MLK Fellow of Regent’s Park College, University of Oxford a post which he will hold for five years.
Since 2009-2022 Jacquiline has been central to the development of visual arts programmes at Salisbury and Chichester among other Cathedrals. Now she is a freelance Visual Art Advisor and is engaged as the Consultant Curator for the Association of English Cathedrals. She is also a Trustee and Project Curator of A+C and Director and Curator for WAC.
Over the past 16 years Jacquiline has delivered over 55 exhibitions, working with a diverse group of artists, galleries, foundations and estates. These include Antony Gormley, Lemn Sissay, Mark Wallinger, David Mach and Ana Maria Pacheco, galleries such as The Lisson, Osborne Samuel, Hauser&Wirth and the estates of Henry Moore, Lynn Chadwick, Barbara Hepworth and others. She has developed lasting relationships with many of the leading figures in the contemporary art world whose dedication and support has been crucial to the success of the many projects delivered.
Julia Porter-Pryce, Community Co-ordinator for Vessel
Julia a freelance curator based in Hay-on-Wye with 25 years’ experience of working with art in sacred spaces. After 15 years in museum management, she worked as an Anglican priest in Hackney where she ran a programme of residencies and community arts projects. For 10 years she co-ordinated creative arts engagement in the Diocese of London. She has been a member of the St Paul’s Cathedral Visual Arts Committee and an Advisor to Art and Christianity. Julia has been based in the Black Mountains for three years.
Julia is passionate about connecting artists with places of worship as a means of interpreting faith traditions and at the same time making art accessible to new audiences.
COSTS
Full weekend ticket members (driving your own car) £140
Full weekend ticket members (with a car space in one of the participants’ car) £190
Full weekend ticket non- members (driving your own car) £180
Full weekend ticket non-members (with a car space in one of the participants’ car) £230
Friday evening only: lecture and finger food supper £35 (this is included in all the weekend ticket prices listed above)
Please note lunch for Saturday is not included in the costs.