The Arts
&
Social Justice / Social Issues
CALL FOR CHRISTIAN ARTISTS Re SOCIAL AND JUSTICE ISSUES
© Grace Wiebe, EthniClay, 2004
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CALL FOR ARTISTS re SOCIAL & JUSTICE ISSUES
G. Wiebe - Jan. 2005
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Intro / Some Initial Be Projects Will Include a Focus on the Following / The Art Works Could Come From Various Perspectives / Some Potential Types of Art That Could Be Included / Awareness, Prayer & Fund/Resource-Raising CDs/DVDs / Fund-Raiser / Team Efforts / Some Potential Steps that Could Be Considered / More Than We've Asked or Imagined
Has God been stirring your heart with desires to use your art to help stand for social and justice issues? Or have you already been using your art in these ways? If so, in future editions we want to include opportunities for you to potentially become involved in specific projects in this regard - both local and international possibilities.
It seems to me that in the past number of years, especially, God is and has been increasingly stirring the hearts of growing numbers of His artists in these types of directions since justice, the poor and oppressed are so much on His heart and such a vital part of His teachings about THE KINGDOM OF GOD!
Many artists want to participate and contribute with the gifts they have, but may not know how or may not have the needed contacts. Hopefully the networking that has been developing locally and internationally over the years among Christian artists, etc. will be able to help to connect as the Lord does the connecting.
If you know of any related projects that are in the works or have some on your heart that you wish to have others know about and potentially participate in as the Lord leads, please do let us know so that we can also get the word out for you - whether local or international.
SOME INITIAL BEGINNING PROJECTS WHICH
I AM INTERESTING IN HELPING TO FACILITATE WILL LIKELY INCLUDE A FOCUS ON:
+ disaster relief - ie. tsunami victims and those now faced with the momentous
task of rebuilding their lives
+ refugees and persecuted believers - locally and overseas
+ orphans / AIDS orphans - locally and overseas
+ the poor and homeless/street people, etc. - locally and overseas
THE ART WORKS COULD COME FROM
VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES:
+ to encourage those being affected as victims
+ to encourage those ministering to/assisting the victims/the oppressed
+ to stir up others through creating an awareness of the needs, whether physical,
spiritual, emotional, etc. (whether Christian or non-Christian).
SOME POTENTIAL TYPES OF ART THAT
COULD BE INCLUDED (though you may know of others that may be suitable as well):
+ Poems
+ Songs
+ CDs
+ Books
+ Cartoons and Caricatures
+ Paintings
+ Sculptures
+ Photography
+ Other visual artwork
+ Productions - ie. to help people work through their grief; raising awareness
+ Art therapy
+ Photo memories
+ Movies
+ Concerts
+ Drama/theatre
+ Dance
+ Videos - ie. to help keep people praying and giving and going to help with
the rebuilding once the initial shock has worn off in nations that have not
been directly affected by the tsunami - for example
There are several specific projects about the above issues which I would like
to begin to get some input on from those of you who are interested.
If you have already created artworks relevant to the above issues and may be interested in potentially using your artworks in such projects, I would be interested in knowing what you already have available.
If you do not currently have related artworks but are interested in creating some about one or more of these issues, I would also be interested in hearing what is on your mind in this regard.
AWARENESS, PRAYER & FUND/RESOURCE-RAISING
CDs/DVDs:
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For example, one of the projects that could be developed for any/all of these
issues above might be to create CDs or DVDs which could potentially be used
to help:
+ raise up awareness of the specific issue and needs - by perhaps including
some intro info and initial stats on an issue in the CD/DVD cover or a small
booklet included in the CD/DVD;
+ raise up awareness of the need for specific related prayer;
+ raise up awareness of the need for specific ministries or projects, etc.
that are requiring financial aid or other resources such as personnel, clothing,
food, training, legal advocacy, whatever it may be;
+ provide names and contact info of some trusted ministries that are working
with these focus so they can be contacted;
+ provide some resource links to help educate those further about the issue
at hand, etc.
These types of CDs/DVDs could also include:
+ relevant artwork
+ relevant songs
+ perhaps include relevant video clips or short movies/drama clips, etc.
FUND RAISER
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Not only could this type of project be used to help raise up funds through
the content of the CD/DVD, but it could also be used, itself, as a fund-raising
tool for whatever issue it is raising awareness of.
For example, perhaps various musicians and artists, business people, promoters, ministries, recording engineers, administrators and facilitators, publishers, etc. are interested in working together to see such a CD/DVD come out which could help to aid ministries that are reaching out to refugees.
These CDs/DVDs could potentially be made available through the ministries involved with refugees and through anyone interested in helping to raise up awareness of these issues and needs, by selling them as fund-raisers through appropriate networks, distribution points, web sites or at musical/artistic productions helping to raise awareness/prayer/funds/personnel, or at related seminars/workshops/conferences/consultations, etc.
The cost of getting these out, whether with just one song focused on the issue, or whether a CD/DVD full of related songs, would need to be decided upon by the vision/facilitation team. Some may wish to make it very inexpensive in order to get the message/awareness out, while also receiving some amount of funding in return. Others may wish to charge a lot more or ask for donations in order to seek to use these to raise as much funding as possible for the specific people and ministries in question….or do it one way at one point and another way at another point, depending on how the Holy Spirit leads.
TEAM EFFORTS
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God loves it when the Body works together in unity in diversity, and I think
that is one of the most beautiful things to behold!
Many people have many dreams and desires on their hearts but are unable to carry them out on their own. I believe there are many that share similar vision, dreams and desires re various social and justice issues, but who are not seemingly able to bring them into being on their own. I suspect that many of these dreams/desires would be possible as the Body comes together to see them move forward in His ways and timing.
How could the type of project mentioned above, as an example, come about as a team effort among various ones in the Body who share similar vision?
HERE ARE SOME POTENTIAL STEPS THAT
COULD BE PRAYERFULLY CONSIDERED:
+ If you have a particular issue that you sense God has put on your heart,
or a particular project to assist with a particular social/justice issue,
begin to pray that God will connect you with others in the Body that share
the vision and with whom you can work together to see it come into being.
+ If you have a particular specific project or proposal in mind, we would
be happy to help get the word out for you (through the newsletters, web sites,
etc.) and see whom the Lord brings to you, as well.
+ Continue to pray about the project, people and every aspect of the vision
throughout the process, and trust in God's timing and provision. Also reach
out to the people you're hoping to positively affect through your projects
in other ways, too, as the Holy Spirit leads you.
+ As the Lord connects you with others that share similar vision, if you do
not feel comfortable facilitating the vision-sharing get-together, ask the
Lord to bring the person He wants to facilitate the project, and then facilitate
a meeting of like hearts to seek the Lord together for the vision and how/when
to carry it out step by step.
+ Decide - who are the specific ministries you are initially seeking to assist
and minister in conjunction with through these projects? For example, I'm
in communications with the heads of various ministries to refugees and orphans
that are very eager to have artists working with them in various ways as the
Lord leads, to both help to raise awareness/funding/prayer/resources, etc.
in some of the ways mentioned, and also to become more closely involved by
using their artistic gifts on site - ie. teaching art to, and encouraging
artists that are orphans; or using biblically-based, Christ-centered art therapy
to help refugees work through their grief and magnitudal losses, or to bring
some sense of relief to them through laughter through the arts.
+ Once the team has written the vision down (Habbakuk 2:2), it would be helpful
to continue to pray together about the project - that God would bring musicians/artists/recording
engineers, etc. that wish to participate in the project by perhaps donating
their artwork, or loaning it for specific projects, or whatever is agreed
upon as the Lord leads.
+ The same would go for asking God to provide Christians in business and others
that share similar vision and would be thrilled to help to back up the project
financially.
+ The same would go for asking God to provide publishers and assistance with
copyrights, any potential legal advice needed, assistance with accounting,
administration, etc., whatever would be needed.
+ The same would go for the need for promoters and distributors. For example,
we would be happy to do some networking for you through related e-newsletters
and web sites locally and internationally. Christian bookstores could be contacted
about helping to promote such CDs/DVDs, for example. Organizations such as
NOW TV, It's a New Day, Christian Info, etc. could also be contacted about
potentially promoting similar resources or related events.
+ Perhaps there are speakers that are being asked to speak about the issues
in question…They may wish to help promote such CDs/DVDs at their conferences
or speaking engagements as well.
+ Or perhaps there are production teams that wish to develop musical/dramatic
productions to help get the message across - who are perhaps doing the productions
on tours at places like: Regent College, TWU, high schools, Bible colleges
and other similar places across the country - for Christian audiences; or,
depending on the content, to appropriate settings/situations in the marketplace.
These CDs/DVDs could also potentially be promoted through these types of venues
and opportunities.
+ You would also need a response team to deal with any shipping/handling/finances,
etc. and to answer other questions that may arise.
+ You may wish to also have a follow up team to keep you updated on the situation
and how the CD/DVD is helping, and to do some follow up CDs/DVDs, productions
or other artistic productions - such as perhaps having an art show which focuses
on the needs of the group in question, and the destiny God may have for them,
or some of the positive things seen in the midst of those situations, or the
blessings of ministering in those situations, etc.
I do not think we as God's artists and musicians have even begun to tap into the vast array of opportunities that He has for us in helping us to stand with Him in the things He is wanting to do in these days to have us stand up for the poor and oppressed, which are so deeply on His heart, and for justice - one of the foundations of His throne.
I will look forward to hearing from you about your interests in this regard and to hearing whether you have already created related art works regarding the issues listed above, or whether you are interested in doing so. I will then connect with you further so we can see how God wants to take things from there. Many blessings and may God do FAR MORE than we have asked or IMAGINED!!
G. Wiebe
GCWAC@DiscipleTheNations.org
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Enlisting God's Artists in the Plight of the Oppressed