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University’s Prayer exhibition sparks inter-faith seminar Voices of clergy and people of other faiths, who have been recorded at prayer and used in a special exhibition at the University of Nottingham* Lakeside art gallery, have sparked new discussion between people of different faiths. Following the opening of the multi-faith installation on prayer, by South African artist James Webb, members of the University’s chaplaincy team have organised a special seminar this week to discuss prayer. The Inter-Faith seminar, entitled: ‘What prayer means to me’, will include contributions from Christian, Jewish and Muslim representatives and will start at 7.30pm on Wednesday 14th July at the Djanogly Art Gallery Lecture Theatre. Seminar organiser and University chaplain, the Revd John Bentham, said: “It’s amazing that an artist has achieved what councils and committees find it hard to do – cross multi cultural barriers . We hope to contribute to the new dialogue that has been started through the exhibition - the seminar will include a contribution from the three Abrahamic faiths. It represents our growing partnership this academic year in a new chaplaincy space within the university, and forms a fitting farewell to the outgoing Jewish chaplain Yochanan Pereira.” The installation, by James Webb, was created over a six-week period of research with the support of the Nottingham Inter Faith Council and is presented on floor-based speakers in an otherwise empty gallery, allowing visitors to pick out individual voices or listen to the entire piece as an ever-changing tapestry of sound. The Nottingham interfaith council had assisted James Webb in contacting a variety of faiths and he included some 42 voices in the installation, representing some 20 different faith groups. Some of the Christian voices included in the installation were Canon Christina Baxter, a member of the Church of England’s General Synod and Principal of St John’s Theological College, Nottingham Trent University chaplain, the Revd Richard Davey, University Methodist chaplain, Anna Ratcliffe , and the Revd John Bentham, University of Nottingham chaplain, among others. John explained:” I felt that Christianity itself is extremely varied in its cultural expression and worshipping diversity in Nottingham, and encouraged sampling of that diversity of tradition – black and white churches, evangelical, catholic and liberal.” Drinks will be served and the Gallery will be open for viewing from 7 pm before the seminar begins, no tickets are required.
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