Passion Trust

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The Passion Trust is a charity that supports the resurgence of Christian Passion Plays in the United Kingdom. [1]

Contents

Its aim is to keep alive the heritage of dramatic re-enactments of the Easter story. [2] Passion Plays take place in over 50 different locations in the UK, each adapted to the local community and the volunteers who perform and produce the plays. [3] As reported in Christianity Today, the purpose of Passion Plays is to bring the Gospel message to life within communities. [4]

History

The Passion Trust was established in 2011. It acts as a centre for resourcing, financing and equipping community performances to support the dramatic, story-telling heritage of religious drama for future generations. [5] It also advocates for public drama through local and national media. [6]

Trustees and supporters of the Passion Trust have been involved in Passion Plays all over the world, including Australia, South Africa, Italy and Brazil, where Jesus was crucified on prison bars. [7] Passion Plays have also been performed by prisoners in jails including at Louisiana State Penitentiary (2012) [8] where seventy-five inmates at Angola Prison and Louisiana Correctional Institution for Women (LCIW) came together to put on a performance of the Passion. [9] The performance was the subject of a documentary that shows scenes from the daily lives of the inmates together with scenes from the play that is performed in the prison grounds. [10] Other Passion Plays in prisons include those performed in HM Prison Greenock in Glasgow. [11]

Activity

The Passion Trust hosts an annual conference attended by actors, arts practitioners, producers, directors, fundraisers and journalists. [12] It also shares information for people starting new Passion Plays or wanting to develop existing plays, including script-writing, fund-raising, working with local councils and engaging with local communities. [13]

Notable speakers and theatre members

Keynote speakers at Passion Trust conferences include:

The Passion Trust connects UK Passion Plays with Europassion, a large European organisation that promotes Passion Plays in Europe. [25] Established in 1982, this umbrella organisation draws together Passion Play communities from several European countries, some of which have been performing their plays for hundreds of years. Over 80 Passion groups from 16 countries are represented. [26]

According to Mons. Fausto Panfili, the Chaplain of the Europassion:

The experience of the Europassion constantly lets us experience a so far unexplored pathway, so that we can continue to grow. Surmounting a self-referred vision of our own experience obligates us to confront a regional, national, European and universal horizon. That is why a new vision, not fragmentary, is necessary. Unity doesn’t mean uniformity. A spiritual energy, stronger and more attentive to cultural elaboration, a more evident solidarity in order to be recognised as bearers of hope, to help the people and communities grow. [27]

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References

  1. ↑ Pat Ashworth, “Passion plays ‘stop people in their tracks'” Church Times (January 24, 2014)
  2. ↑ Passion Trust, www.passiontrust.org
  3. ↑ Bess Twiston Davies, “Amateur performances for Holy Week” The Times, March 17, 2012
  4. ↑ Anita Bruce-Mills, “James Burke-Dunsmore: Performing the Gospel poorly would be a huge disservice”, Christianity Today (January 20, 2014)
  5. ↑ 'Passion Trust', Passion Trust, www.passiontrust.org
  6. ↑ Martin Wainwright, 'The joy of being part of a Passion play - and a national revival', The Guardian (April 12, 2014)
  7. ↑ 'The Benefits of his Passion in Prison', Church Times, https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2017/31-march/features/features/the-benefits-of-his-passion-in-prisons
  8. ↑ D., C. (15 May 2012). "A Passion Play in Prison: Acting Forgiveness and Redemption". The Economist. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
  9. ↑ A passion play in prison: Enacting forgiveness and redemption, The Economist, 5 May 2012
  10. ↑ 'Cast the First Stone: Film background', Cast the First Stone, https://castthefirststone-themovie.com/cast-the-first-stone-film-background/
  11. ↑ Gerry Braiden, ‘Scots aristocrat wins Vatican backing to stage last days of Christ play in notorious Italian jail’, Herald Scotland (4 January 2016)
  12. ↑ Bruce-Mills, Anita. "James Burke-Dunsmore: Performing the Gospel poorly would be a huge disservice". Christianity Today. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
  13. ↑ "Support & Resources". Passion Trust. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
  14. ↑ "Character Development". Love Beyond. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  15. ↑ Twiston-Davies, David. "James Burke-Dunsmore, the actor who weaves his own thorny crown" . Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  16. ↑ C.D. "Enacting forgiveness and redemption" . Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  17. ↑ "Scottish aristocrat to take Vatican backed Passion play to notorious Italian prison - CatholicHerald.co.uk". catholicherald.co.uk. 4 January 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
  18. ↑ "Theatre Review: The Edinburgh Passion" . Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  19. ↑ "Suzanne Lofthus".
  20. ↑ Who We ARE. Wintershall. https://www.wintershall.org.uk/who-we-are, accessed 20 October 2021.
  21. ↑ Passion Trust. www.passiontrust.org, accessed 20 October 2021.
  22. ↑ 'Contact Us', Passion Trust, www.passiontrust.org/contact, accessed 20 October 2021.
  23. ↑ The Passion of Jesus. Wintershall. https://www.wintershall.org.uk/passion-jesus-london, accessed 20 October 2021
  24. ↑ In Pictures: Southampton Passion Play, BBC News Hampshire and Isle of Wight, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-13171836, access 20 October 2021
  25. ↑ Europassion website
  26. ↑ Europassion website
  27. ↑ "Salutation". Europassion.
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