The Christian Muslim Forum identified an interesting opportunity for encouraging inter faith encounter through the medium of art. We partnered with the ‘Tree of Abraham’ artists (all alumni of the Prince’s School of Traditional Arts) who describe the project’s approach as ‘creative activism’ at community level. The art project – travelling exhibition with educational, artistic and dialogue workshops – is a one year pilot for a practical visual expression of Christian and Muslim cultural heritage and artistic linkages. Working with children to produce artworks and explore artistic traditions is a focal part of the project.

El Refugio (the refuge) is a Christian ministry that works with children and youth in a situation of vulnerability within the city of Cartagena, Colombia. We aim to reach these children through our "Kids Church" program, teaching them Christian values that they do not receive in the home. We also have a large focus on School Reinforcement. The Colombian public school system is not very good and therefore many children who don't have access to the better schools or private schools do not get a very good level of education and with overcrowded classrooms and stressed out underpaid teachers, children with difficulties or abilities can get lost in the crowd. Through our small group program we aim to help those who have fallen behind or dropped out of school and The Library is open for those who are doing well in school to come and do their homework in a clean bright environment with help from our staff. It is our desire that these children develop a passion for learning and go on to study in higher education improving the lives of themselves, their families and their community as a whole.

The land surrounding the Ascension Church is being transformed by the creation of landscaped gardens, orchards, annual and perennial meadow wild-flowers, cottage garden flowers, the growing of organic vegetables, fruit trees and the installation of a cross channel water feature based on the key elements traditionally used within the ancient 'Paradise Gardens', which have historically always been recognised and shared by all three Abrahamic Traditions. This volunteer-led community project to create a Paradise Garden therefore represents a shared tradition with its roots deep within the cultural context of these religions and, as such, aims to serve the diverse local community as a multi-faith, cultural, 'spiritual and practical oasis' within the severely disadvantaged urban setting of Lower Broughton, Salford.

This project engages children from different cultural backgrounds in South Africa to get together through sport. Sport coaches from various ethnic groups, all whom have grown up in  the townships around Cape Town, are trained to work with school children. Through the enjoyment of sport, they teach the kids life principals such as respect and teamwork. The coaches are all supported so that they can spend their time contributing to the next generation in South Africa to be more integrated with great respect and understanding for each other’s differences and similarities.

Young people from the Chew Valley area of North East Somerset will work together with a theatre director and filmmaker this summer to create a piece of work that will be performed at the egg, Theatre Royal Bath.

We have partnered a high school in The Gambia called Kinderdorf Bottrop Techinical High School, in a small town called Brikama. Bottrop has 1,400 students age 12-19. Our project will take a small number of students to The Gambia, visiting our partner school, local communities and NGSs, experiencing another culture and faith as well as typical Gambian Life. We will spend time in the Gambian Classroom as well as visiting the two cemeteries in the capital city - one is Muslim and the other Christian. The project as a whole aims to bring Christian and Muslim youth together and encourage values for life. The culmination of the project will be the (English) students speaking to their own local community on their return about their experiences of another culture and faith.

We have been working with a group of 65 pupils drawn from 8 different secondary schools in Newham and the students have decided to produce some short programmes that tackle religious stereotypes and get young people thinking about this topic.  Our aim is that these programmes, once placed on a website, could then be viewed by schools around the country and give a dynamic thoughtful start to any teachers wanting to work around this theme in their classroom (which is a KS4 GCSE topic in many syllabuses).

Summersonic - Performing Arts Holiday School - brought together pro's from across the music and performing arts world to give one spectacular week of first-class coaching and fun-filled learning in music and performing arts. For one intense week students took part in daily workshops developing their skills in a range of musical genres from pop rock and indie to RnB jazz and gospel. The week culminated in a Grand Finale Concert where friends and family enjoyed an evening of showcase performances based on what had been achieved throughout the week. The project aimed to inspire young people to try new things as well as help them discover their own talents and unique potential in Christ.

Treloar’s Trust was founded to create a world where physically disabled young people learn to take control of their lives and dare to dream. Arts Week is all about introducing people to, and broadening their perception of the many different forms of the arts: art, drama, music, photography and filmmaking.  It is also an opportunity for our students to showcase their considerable talents.

Journeys – Discovering Places, Pathways & Others - The aims of our project are to enable ninety Year 7 pupils in 3 mixed faith state schools in Burnley, Lancashire to explore pilgrimage, journey and significant places in the UK for members of three different world religions - Christianity, Islam & Hinduism.   The underlying aim of the project is to enable direct and in-direct beneficiaries to develop and foster a greater empathy to those who may have different beliefs or values enabling them to foster positive community relationships. The project will enable pupils to explore personal and group values, exchange knowledge and ideas and demonstrate their learning with the wider school and local community.  The project brings together religious institutions, members of the local community and young people.

Whether Muslim, Christian, or faith undeclared, all young people enjoy a good laugh. That’s why The Feast in Birmingham hosted a series of comedy events to bring Christian and Muslim youth together.  Thanks to Westhill Endowment Fund, we showed how laughter can unite people to explore faith and create friendships which changes lives.

After working in the music industry and youth work sector over the last 10 years I decided I wanted to reach young people with a different type of message through music. I want to challenge the gun glorification, half naked girls, and the constant bombardment of exposing our children and young people to negative images. And so we now embark on this exciting journey of creating a contemporary Gospel album that will actually bring good news!

Holton Lee is a charity situated on a secluded, tranquil, unspoilt slice of Dorset countryside overlooking Poole harbour. For many years Holton Lee has been musing over how wonderful it would be to have a labyrinth in our beautiful grounds, a simple and calming space where people can leave their worries behind and use the path as an opportunity for reflection and to aid the quietening of the mind. This is our story on how the project came about.

“The One World Project” – St Benet Biscop, are working with students within our local school communities. The project is all about getting everyone together, being creative and learning! We are looking at several worldwide faiths demonstrating and celebrating how diverse the world is. The creative activities are aimed towards middle school aged children and their families. We are holding the events at either schools or parish halls so they are easy for everyone to access.

The aim of the Seeds for Life Project is to provide Christian RE sessions linked to the Worcestershire County Council curriculum, in and around the Jesse Tree Bible Garden at Holly Mount URC, Great Malvern. The bible garden tells the Bible story through both its artwork and plants complete with sculpture, artwork, teaching aids and rest facilities. Also included are indoor facilities, incorporating internet access, PowerPoint display facilities, open-plan discussion/ teaching areas.

Wouldn’t it be great if every church had a children’s worker full of enthusiasm and a real sense of vocation! The Grace Project was set up to meet a real need and allows churches to share such a person. Grace Workers are mentored by a children’s work expert. They offer a fantastic ministry including, toddler groups, clubs, assemblies, crafty cafés and a multisensory Bethlehem experience. Bursting with energy, they meet together for training, exchanging ideas and sharing resources. All have a passion for demonstrating God’s unconditional love to the children in their care and developing exciting new initiatives.

The churches in England face a range of opportunities and challenges in the current multi faith context, particularly with regards to Christian Muslim relations. Moreover, these opportunities and challenges are most acutely faced by our children and young people in their schools, neighbourhoods, friendships and leisure activities.

In the early 1990's Barbara Dixon had the vision for using puppetry in children's work in our local church. She saw that Church Army were running a course on the arts in Sheffield and asked her friend Margaret Redfearn to go with her on the course. Over the next two years Margaret was sponsored to take a day a week out of her regular job so she could go into schools, straight away Hand to Mouth were into 27 schools.

"There's nothing new". There has been a major focus in the media recently on healthy eating. We continually hear and read that to reduce obesity and improve our health and wellbeing we need to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, have very little red meat, drink water, sometimes as much as 2 litres a day and take regular exercise. John Wesley's book Primitive Physic: or An Easy and Natural Way of Curing Most Diseases was written over 250 years ago...... what do you think?

Kids United is a holiday club for 4-7s in Tower Hamlets, East London and is run by the CURBS Project (Children in URBan Situations). The 2011 summer project was focussed on unpacking key bible stories through exploring our ‘different senses’. We were able to build on the positive relationships we have developed with local families, a large percentage of whom are from a Muslim background. This work has enabled us to develop and model activities/resources for children that incorporate Christian and Muslim faith traditions within our inner cities in a way that respects, recognises and celebrates the differences but also comes from a Christian perspective. 

Founded in 1996 the York Schools and Youth Trust (YoYo) seeks to support and serve the schools of York in the communication of the Christian faith. YoYo exists to Effectively communicate the Christian faith to the children and young people of York, particularly through work in schools. Kids Rock is YoYo's lunch time and after school club for all Key Stage 2 children, ages 7-11. It currently runs in six of York's primary schools.

The Ladywood Interfaith Education Project (LIEP) is based in central Ladywood, inner-city Birmingham. It began in 1999 and is a partnership between four places of worship/faiths in the area. Initiated by St John & St Peter’s Ladywood Parish Church Council (PCC) as a response to the multi-faith nature of Birmingham, providing creative educational encounters in sacred places for children.

The Gospel of St. Mark is about following after Jesus and, as St. Mark's Baptist Church, we wanted to communicate this. Our location is full of murals and also the place where Banksy got started so a mural seemed the obvious thing to do! The BBC interviewed Jo Waterfall, the artist, on Songs of Praise (May 2009) and when school groups visit us we can use the painting to talk about our vision eg. encouraging hope, welcome and diversity to the area.

Prayer and Action: Resources for ending violence against children. The project aims to promote shared religious values of compassion, respect for human dignity, non-violence, equality and justice through the development of resources for prayer and action to end all forms of violence against children.  Children and young people have a key role to play and the project will encourage their meaningful participation and create opportunities for children's active involvement.

These embroideries have been created by Pamela Pavitt and are presented in two groups, one dealing with ideas of peace and reconcilliation, and the other the stewardship of the world we live in, creation and the environment. They are available on free loan as an educational resource to religious and suitable educational and community organisations such as cathedrals, churches, hospices, medical schools, hospitals and public art galleries.

As an artist, I recognised a need within my local community for an event that would bring families from multiple faiths together, using a variety of design led workshops that would culminate into a carnival. Funding was always going to be a problem. However, after looking into a variety of avenues we managed to secure what we needed to get the project off the ground.

As part of the ministry of the World in Need Day Care Centre in Kabul, Afghanistan, children take part in painting classes which are supervised by a professional art teacher. The activity acts not only as an educational tool but as a therapeutic one too. Paintings are exported to England where they are sold and funds returned to the centre and the child.

The idea of this project is to create a family all age musical which could be performed by a few people or by a cast of 50 people. All the songs are original and will have backing tracks for other users to access. The journey starts with a storyteller figure (like a Hans Christian Anderson character) who gathers a group of children around him and begins to tell the story of Jesus the greatest storyteller and takes a journey through the parables of Jesus and his life discovering secrets and mysteries along the way.

An event for year 6 pupils held in nine of Newbury’s primary schools, where they are taken through a series of activities to help them think through the issues related to their move to secondary school and themselves within that process, their values and aspirations. The pupils are given a booklet produced by Scripture Union and more importantly it is an opportunity for the pupils to get to know the COINS worker in the secondary school they are moving to.

Spirited Arts runs an annual school RE competition in which children make a work of art on a spiritual or religeous theme. In 2010 there were about 30,000 entrants. Themes such as "Where is God", "Your Spiritual Life", "Mystery?" and "Open Minds" have generated inspiring work from 5 to 19 year olds all over the UK. An amazing gallery of online art, over 400 pieces altogether can be seen on the website.

Crown Meadow First School and Nursery are very excited to be at the start of their Global Community Project with their partner school, San Lucas Colegio, Arequipa in Peru.  Their children are already corresponding by the exchange of cards and regular Skype conversations.  The school and nursery are in the planning stage for a teacher exchange in the summer of 2012 where respective teachers will be teaching in our partner schools.  As preparation for this, children will be embarking on making a banner showing cultural British festivals, which will be both a gift and used as a teaching aid in San Lucas Colegio.

Following on from Simon's community Arts Festival project (see Simon's Story), Simon's second project is the making of a short and accessible film of the parable about "The Good Samaritan". The overall objective of the film is to get the children involved in all aspects of the project, behind the camera as well as in front of it.

This is initially a 2 year project working specifically with Pupils Referral Units (PRUs) and Secure Childrens’ Units; centres for educating young people who, for personal, social or behavioural reasons, have been excluded from mainstream education. Covenant Players’ interactive-theatre programmes presents Christian-based values, engaging and involving young people in looking at issues such as; communication skills, purpose, anti-social behaviour, anger-management, aspiration and hope, empathic skills, re-inclusion, peer pressure, bullying, substance abuse and addiction, citizenship… Throughout these programmes there will be an emphasis on affirmation, building confidence and self-esteem.
This project presents a unique opportunity to serve as a resource and—prayerfully—as an intervention at a critical moment in a young person’s life. 

The Church Mission Society Youth and Children's Team have worked in partnership with Westhill Endowment on several important projects which have all been notable successes in working with and inspiring children.

"Crossing the Bridge" - St Mary's has a vibrant and varied mix of youth groups. The Boys Brigade, a youth club and before and after school clubs. All of these groups have opportunities throughout the year to express in their own ways, what worship means to them. One of our greatest achievements has been to bridge the gap between the established church congregation and the young members of these groups. By building trust and developing relationships we have been able to help the children find their own voice within the church.

New building, new banners - Belle Isle in bloom. The United Reformed Church in South Leeds now has a brand new building in Nesfield Road, Belle Isle, Leeds LS10 3LG. Over the weekend of JUNE 11-12 2011 we will be held a RAINBOW FLOWER FESTIVAL and ART and CRAFTS EXHIBITION to celebrate this new phase in the life and ministry of our church and to invite members of our local community to visit us.

Gethsemane Garments: a textile project for Lent involving all ages of St Martin's Community coming together as the body of Christ and working together on a garment that would express being the body of Christ bound by the living word.

A project that brings art, music and dance to St Andrew's parish church in the centre of Rugby. Participation by the local community and schools in the surrounding area to produce a magnificent tapestry and painted hangings. The culmination of the project was a performance of music and dance led by local schools.

WHAT IS LIFEPATH? - Lifepath is a schools event, run by Scripture Union volunteers, in a range of locations across the country. Key Stage 2 children (7 - 11 year olds) visit a place that is linked to a local Christian from history. During the day long event, children learn both about the life of the person from history and have the chance to consider their own Lifepaths. Recent Lifepaths have looked at the lives of Monks, Simon of Sudbury, John Newton and John Wesley. Future Lifepaths will include Robert Raikes, Eric Liddell and Florence Nightingale.

Simon's story takes us through the organising of a community arts festival. The festival was seen as a catalyst to encourage participation in performing and combined arts in the local area. Part of the long term objective is to develop and refurbish part of the old church building into a performing arts centre for the benefit of the local community.

In June and July 2009 Act 4 set a new Guinness World Record™, they performed 51 professional theatrical stage shows in 50 days in 50 different venues all over England and Wales. Act 4 now want to share Star Citizen with you! The show has been re-packaged for use in primary schools and churches as a fantastic All Age Event, as we seek to equip as many children as possible with the knowledge and skills to make a difference in the world around them.

Interfaith League against Poverty is a non-partisan development organization dedicated to promote religious tolerance, peace, harmony and respect for all religions around the globe. The Missing Peace Art competition at Pakistan National Council for Art (PNCA) Islamabad provided an opportunity for the students to express their feelings and promote the idea of peace and harmony.

Cre8.ed works to provide schools and colleges with creative expression arts-based training, through values-based programmes which promote inclusion and cross-cultural respect. As an educational arts company we teach a creative approach through a range of subject areas. Our work encompasses RE, Citizenship, PHSE, Literacy (Drama), PE (Dance and Movement), Music and Visual Art in a cross-curricular setting.

A tranquil oasis in the centre of Derby, behind the Derby Cathedral Centre. The garden takes you on a journey of the life and memory of Christ using plants from the Bible to link with the stages is Christ's life. The garden can be used by school groups for educational and interpretative purposes.

“Life is a Journey” Alexander Hosea School group entry: Easter Banners 284 pupils in ten classes aged from 4-11 created this set of Easter banners. They wanted to bring alive the spiritual space of their local church for the celebration of Easter in 2010. ‘Easter banners’ was a community project to represent Easter as a sacred story in both the past and present.

Liverpool 8 (L8) has been described as the sacred heart of Liverpool. The Altar 8 project offered people rooted in the L8 neighbourhood a space to express their own individual or group identities. A way to do this was a blank green “altar”. The advantage of the blank alter is that it has no specific religious or faith connection.

Kids together was a project for a 25 minute scripted live action drama with animated interludes which was conceived by Brian Brown.Brian has a strong history of success in this area having been responsible for concept creation of the "Story keepers" and "Friends and Heroes".

The Federation of RE Centres is a forum and support network for those involved in the provision of resources for multi-faith Religious Education in UK schools, colleges, churches and community groups. In addition to this website the information and support activities of the group also include the publication of a twice yearly newsletter and the organisation of conferences and other events..

Lacey theatre Company -  ‘All about Mia’ is a Theatre-In-Education, Citizenship themed day programme aimed at Key Stage Levels 3-4. With a combination of theatrical performances and interactive elements, ‘All about Mia’ is a great way to fulfill government guidelines for Personal Learning and Thinking Skills. It incorporates aspects of the national curriculum for Citizenship, History and RE.

Track is a project that aims to build links with primary school children and their parents within the local community and share the Christian faith through its club one evening a week, and it’s weekly visitation program. The club seeks to communicate the faith and life skills through the use of sound, light, multimedia, drama, games and interaction.