"Why", "Happiness", "Repression" and "Afterlife" 4 films created for the Faith Exhibition Project

Parker, Mike ORCID: 0000-0002-3616-5064 and Daglish, Robert (2017) "Why", "Happiness", "Repression" and "Afterlife" 4 films created for the Faith Exhibition Project. [Film / Video] (Submitted)

	Video (Faith Project Film "Why" © Mike Parker) Why 13-01-17.mp4 - Submitted Version Available under License All Rights Reserved. Download (953MB)
	Video (Faith Project Film "Happiness" © Mike Parker) Faith Project film Happiness©MikeParker All Rights Reserved.mp4 - Submitted Version Available under License All Rights Reserved. Download (73MB)
	Video (Faith Project Film "Repression" © Mike Parker) FaithProjectfilmRepressionMikeParker.mp4 - Submitted Version Available under License All Rights Reserved. Download (80MB)
	Video (Faith Project Film "Afterlife" © Mike Parker) Faith project film Afterlife ©Mike Parker.mp4 - Submitted Version Available under License All Rights Reserved. Download (22MB)

Abstract

Going west from the quintessentially English Cotswolds you will find an Island of cultural and ethnic diversity that is the City of Gloucester. As the xenophobic and nationalistic rhetoric ramped up after the announcement of the referendum on leaving the EU, a collaboration between Gloucester Artist Russell Haines and Filmmaker Mike Parker began. Russell was a builder who began painting as part of the healing process when recovering from depression and a stroke. Mike Parker is a filmmaker with a body of work that focuses on cultural identity. “Faith” is the first part of a trilogy of exhibitions exploring our differences. “Faith”, “Hope” and “Charity” examine the fundamental issues that divide religious belief, cultural practices, and economic disparities and tries to find out what we have in common. “Faith” is major site-specific exhibition with work by artist Russell Haines and filmmakers Mike Parker and Rob Daglish who created four films that were integrated within the exhibition, “Why”, Happiness”, “Repression” and “Afterlife” It was important that the films did not follow a traditional narrative structure but could be experienced in the context of the space and as part of the exhibition of 38 large scale portraits in Gloucester Cathedral. Though the audio tracks to the films were based on answers from the people that were interviewed, the decision was taken to never see anyone speaking in vision. Instead, they used a split screen approach, the interviewees unconscious that the camera was focusing on them, mixed with images of places of religion and street scenes in Gloucester that became a character itself in the films. The development included filmed debates, interfaith activities and the exhibition opened with an Islamic call to prayer, music, food and dance that resulted in an increased understanding, and coming together of the different communities. Despite international outcry from right wing Christian fundamentalists, the project has brought the diverse communities closer and fostered a number of interfaith activities, debate and outreach programmes with the exhibition since touring venues around the UK. Mike Parker’s earlier work that included “Gododdin” HTV 1999, “Silent Village?” BBC Wales 1992, “Satellite City” BBC Wales 1994-98 and the Royal Court co-production “Gas Station Angel” 1998 explored cultural identity in Wales using more conventional mediums. Working to create the films for “Faith” exhibition with Russell and Rob allowed Mike to explore new uses of film within communities to explore similar themes.

Item Type:	Film / Video
Additional Information:	"Happiness", "Repression" and "Afterlife", (higher resolution versions) can be viewed in the Related URL links labelled 'Repository' included in this record.
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Ethnic diversity; Cultural identity; Gloucester; UK; Painting; Filmmaking; REF2021
Related URLs:	Repository Repository Repository
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HT Communities. Classes. Races
Divisions:	Schools and Research Institutes > School of Creative Arts
Research Priority Areas:	Creative Practice and Theory Culture, Continuity, and Transformation
Depositing User:	Mike Parker
Date Deposited:	05 Dec 2018 14:55
Last Modified:	08 Aug 2023 20:07
URI:	https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/id/eprint/6270

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