NATRE Spirited Arts: 'Art in Heaven' competition 2012

The Turning Point of the Story
Religions love to tell stories that matter. Children love to listen to well told stories. In this theme, take any story and work with it to see what is the turning point, the moment when the action changes. In the Easter story, was it the kiss, or the nails? In the Divali story, was it what Rama did or what Hanuman did? In the story of Moses is it the Bulrushes, the Burning Bush or the Ten Commandments that turns things round? Does the Prodigal Son change when he's with the pigs, or when he's on the road? Take an ancient story of the Buddha, Guru Nanak or the Prophet Muhammad, or a modern one of Gandhi, Mother Teresa or Aung San Suu Kyi, and reflect the turning point in the art. Judges will be very interested in stories that go off the beaten track here too!

Where is God Today?
In this theme, pupils are invited to think about the question 'Where is God Today?' Psalm 42 asks this question, and different people answer it in different ways. Many pupils will have their own answers. Agnostics and atheists may say 'we don't know' or 'nowhere'. Winning work in this area will mix strong and artistic images with theology, seeking, sensing or listening to God creatively. Argumentative work is as powerful as personal and reflective work. Pupils' own views, and the answers of religion, both have a place. Over the years this has been our most popular theme: this year we have twisted it with the word 'today'. A focus on the 'now' is good.

Hope for the World
Some people see hope for the world in human genius. Others hope for co-operation, an end to starvation, peace between religions or the power of love. Most religious people have a spiritual hope for the future – and non-religious people do too. In this theme, think hard about the idea of hope – where does hope come from, what does it say, and can we rely on it? You might use a line from the scriptures of one religion, or an idea from a leader or hero. Then turn your thought into an image, a digital video, cartoon, model or sculpture. Show us your own genius as you express your own idea about hope for the world.

Beginning / Ending
Religions like to tell humans about the beginning and the end of the world. What happens in between matters too. This theme invites young artists to look at what religions say about any beginning or ending and reflect for themselves about how to express their ideas. Did the world start with Big Love or a Big Bang? Will it end with a whimper, or at the gates of Paradise? In this theme, young artist are invited to think about the beginning and end of life (babies and funerals?), about the beginning and end of the world, or about the beginning and ending of a particular experience or phase of life. Make sure your work has some exciting connections to religious or spiritual ideas.

The Poisoned Pool
This is an unusual theme for Art in Heaven. It uses a brilliant poem ~ parable by Rob Lacey called 'the Poisoned Pool' which you can download. Teachers are asked to work with the story in an RE class, exploring it poetically, looking for meanings and making connections to another great story – the Christian story of Jesus. Pupils are invited to choose a moment or favourite line from the poem ~ story and create a work of art that shows what is going on and what it means. Keep it simple is probably good advice – show a moment, not the whole story.  Download poem >>