Introducing Encircling Love
We have a packed programme for this year's festival, and we hope that you will want to join us.
Following the pattern of recent years there will be opportunities to explore different creative activities in smaller groups as well as time to share experiences together. You will meet old friends and new.
We are particularly excited this year that Mary and Mark Fleeson (Lindisfarne Scriptorium) will be joining us.
The programme for the weekend
Friday 15 October
Arrive at The Hayes from 4.00 pm onwards to register and settle into your room.
We meet in small groups around tables in the main hall. This will give us an opportunity to get to know each other and share our expectations for the weekend.
We then enjoy our first meal together at 6.45 pm, after which we will begin our explorations of creativity and how it may be used to serve others.
There also be time for worshipping together before repairing to our rooms or to the bar.
Saturday 16 October
We start the day with (optional) morning prayer, followed by breakfast. The rest of the morning will be taken up by two one-hour sessions in which you can choose from a variety of creative activities.
Creative sessions will include:
- Celtic knotwork
- Singing
- Circle dancing
- Drama
- Photography
- Vocal confidence
- Craft
… and more
ArtServe’s AGM will take place immediately after lunch, and we hope that some people who are not able to come to the Festival itself will want to join us. If you want to come to the AGM even though you aren't attending the rest of the festival, we can welcome a few additional people for lunch at a cost of £10.00 – please email . Bear in mind also that you can attend the whole of the Saturday as a day visitor.
After a cup of tea we can choose two further one-hour sessions to enjoy before the evening meal.
To round off the evening, there will be a Ceilidh, led by AD2000.
Sunday 17 October
Once again, optional early morning prayer is followed by breakfast. We then divide into small groups to prepare for the closing worship.
After a break for coffee, we will have other creative activities to enjoy.
The climax of the weekend, our closing worship will take place after lunch, and we will be ready to depart by 4.00 pm.
Our leaders for the weekend
Mary Fleeson
Mary grew up in a small market town in Shropshire, and has lived on Holy Island since 1997. She studied Foundation Art at Stafford College, specialising in textiles, and then gained an honours degree in Three-Dimensional Design from the University of Central England in Birmingham in 1992. Mary thinks that her style originates from doodling in lessons at school (not something she recommends as a way of succeeding in exams!), combined with opportunities during her education to experiment with many different types of media and techniques.
Her Christian faith, together with living on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne and being surrounded by its natural beauty and visible history, is the greatest inspiration for Mary’s work – a feeling of being part of a rich cycle of life which began in pre-history and encompasses extremes of peace and violence, poverty and prosperity. She also studies early manuscripts and ancient calligraphy from around the world to gain an insight into how calligraphy and illumination have enhanced works, both religious and secular, throughout the ages.
Cara Dudgeon
Cara is an actress, musical theatre performer and vocalist, originally from Nottingham, currently based in London and the East Midlands.
She made her professional debut in the hit children’s television series Bernard’s Watch aged ten, and since then has had a variety of credits on stage, in film, and on television. Cara trained at The London School of Musical Theatre and at The Television Workshop in Nottingham, and has spent much time performing internationally, including in Dubai, China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the USA, Bahrain, and the Pacific Islands. She also visited all corners of the UK when she toured the country for four months, visiting 62 theatres, with Strictly Come Dancing’s Ian Waite and Natalie Lowe as their principal vocalist.
Revd Dr Bonni-Belle Pickard
Bonni–Belle grew up in Florida United Methodism, spent 20 years as a music teacher at Kodaikanal International School in South India, and trained as a minister at Candler School of Theology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia (USA). She has been a circuit minister in the British Methodist Connexion since 2001, serving previously in Birmingham and North London, as superintendent minister of the Kingston-upon-Thames Circuit from 2008–2015, and a superintendent of the North Kent Circuit since 2015.
Bonni–Belle loves people, creativity, and following God into new adventures.
The venue
Encircling Love is at:
Swanwick, Alfreton, DE55 1AU
The Hayes is a well-equipped Christian conference centre set in beautifully maintained gardens and grounds. It offers comfortable modern bedrooms and extensive facilities including a residents lounge, sports facilities, games room, and licensed bar, along with friendly, efficient staff. Free wireless internet is available is available.
The Hayes Conference Centre is only five miles from the M1. The nearest railway station is Alfreton on the Sheffield-Nottingham and Liverpool to Norwich lines.
For full details about The Hayes and its facilities, please visit the The Hayes website.
Covid safety
We will follow all guidance from the government and The Hayes to ensure the smooth running of Encircling Love.
Any vulnerable person choosing to attend does so at their own risk.
In the event of a locally-enforced lockdown preventing any delegate from attending, we will make every effort to provide some online sessions. Any refunds deemed necessary due to the Covid situation will be discussed on an individual basis.
If The Hayes has to close due to further Covid restrictions, we will offer full refunds. We will provide some sessions, including the AGM, via Zoom.
Read CCT's statement about reopening from 1 July 2021 (opens in new tab).
Costs
The all-inclusive cost of the weekend, including accommodation for two nights and all meals, is £210 per person for a single room or £190 per person for a shared room.
We would love some younger people to come. Reduced rates are available for young people up to 19 years of age, and there is no charge for children under five.
Discounts can be negotiated for families, and there is a special deal for groups – book six places together for the price of five*. If you need any help, please phone 020 8467 5985 or email .
You can also attend all or part of the weekend on a non-residential basis as a day visitor.
If the festival cannot take place due to re-imposition of Covid restrictions, we will offer full refunds.
* Note: where some members of the group are eligible for discounts and others are not, it will be the one with the largest discount who goes free.
How to book
The easiest way to book is to use the online booking form. Members, please log in first to save entering your personal details. You can book online even if you pay by cheque.
To book by post please download the postal booking form.
Send postal bookings to: ArtServe membership, 51 Blakehall Road, Carshalton, SM5 3EZ.
We require a deposit of £50 per person at the time of booking. The balance is payable by 30 September 2021.
You can pay your deposit by direct transfer, by PayPal (using a debit/credit card or your PayPal account), or by cheque. To pay your deposit by PayPal, please complete the online booking form and then click the PayPal button on the 'thank you' screen.
You can if you wish pay the full amount at the time of booking, but we don't offer PayPal as an option for this.
If you need help with the booking process, please contact Michael on 020 8669 9744 or email .
Day visitors
Although primarily a residential weekend, you can attend on a non-residential basis for the whole weekend or any combination of days.
The cost for Saturday only (including lunch and dinner) is just £65. To attend the whole festival as a day vistor (including dinner on Friday evening) costs £150.
For full details please refer to the booking form.
