Retreat: Creativity and Prayer: 12th - 16th August

For artists, stitchers, writers and poets. Space to reflect, pray and worship, and time to be creative.

Each day there will be silence, worship together, a meditation from the chaplain and plenty of time and guidance in a creative skill. Help and encouragement is given to everyone, beginner or experienced alike. No previous experience is necessary and all that is needed is a willingness to be open and to explore how our creativity can be a vehicle through which God can speak to us. We are also happy to include those who don't wish to practice a creative skill but might like to come for the silence; maybe to read, to study or to walk.

4pm on Monday 12th to after lunch on Friday 16th August 2019

Retreat Leaders: Barbara Butler and Annabel Barber

Annabel is Rector of Waddington, just outside Lincoln, and a Developing Discipleship Adviser in the Lincoln Diocese. She began to weave together her passions for textile art and visual communication while training in spiritual accompaniment at St Bede's pastoral centre in York. Since then she has exhibited her spirituality-themed quilts in several churches as well as at the Sacred Threads exhibition in the USA. It is the spiritual aspects of working with cloth and thread that sustain her in her busy ministry. Married, she has three young adult children.

Barbara comes from a scientific background and discovered art in her early 30's. Since then she has studied Creative Design in Textiles and has her Further & Adult Education Teaching Certificate. She started out just teaching Textile Art but gradually started using paper, dying, printing, weaving, drawing, ceramics, collage and found objects in her work. She also holds an HNC in Creative Writing. She believes that there are so many wonderful things to discover and share on a retreat, and that it acts as a huge spiritual and artistic recharger bringing a great source of joy and comfort in the months following the event. Barbara also regularly teaches dance and is a musician (concertina) for a local Morris Dancing side. She enjoys gardening and creative writing. She is currently deputy sacristan at her parish church.