Spirituality and the Arts RaVE Excursion
By Rev. Dr Katherine Rainger, Senior Chaplain
Artists have a way of communicating spiritual ideas relating to meaning, purpose, belonging, connection, beliefs and values. Year 9 students study a unit on Spirituality and the Arts as part of Religious and Values Education (RaVE). This year we went on an inaugural excursion to Goulburn to investigate the way spiritual and religious ideas are communicated through sacred spaces, such as St Saviour’s Cathedral, the work of artists in the Goulburn Regional Art Gallery and a public art walk around Goulburn.
Throughout the day, Year 9 saw many different artworks, including the stain glass windows in the cathedral, which represent stories from the Bible. The cathedral guide talked about the story of the prodigal son depicted in one of the windows. He also showed us Bishop Radford’s cope and pectoral cross. Year 9 student Kamae played the cathedral organ, which added some auditory beauty to the visual beauty.
Radford collegian Luke Chiswall’s artwork, Hold Your Head Up, was a popular find in Belmore Park. Hold Your Head Up is a bronze sculpture that has a powerful and important message. It is more than a thinker on two legs taking on the burden of a head full of dreams: it’s an ode to staying positive and confident with a healthy dose of imagination. This character seems as gentle and awkward as it is strong and poised. When faced with the work, you’ll likely tilt your head up and stand a bit taller. Hold Your Head Up is a poignant reminder to literally hold your head up.
Students enjoyed the day and engaged well in the three spaces. You can explore the photos and hear the students' reports below:
"The RaVE Excursion to Goulburn was meaningful because we got to explore different artists’ perspectives on spirituality through their art" - Astrid.
"We got to explore different concepts and deeper meanings about how art connects to spirituality" - Ashley.
"I enjoyed the Year 9 RaVE Excursion because, not only did it connect to what we were learning in RaVE class, but it also showed different aspects of spirituality, such as public art and religious art in the Cathedral" - Lara.
"Year 9 went on a daytrip to Goulburn to explore and understand different artworks. When we got there, we were split into groups and allocated to one of the three places. My group went to St Saviour’s Cathedral. When we entered the cathedral, we met a guide. He walked us through some of the artwork around the cathedral and the beautiful architecture. The Anglican cathedral in Goulburn was a very great place to visit.
"The second place we visited was the Goulbourn Regional Art Gallery [where] we got to see different exhibitions. One of the exhibitions that we looked at was an exhibition by an artist named Julian Meagher. Julian Meagher’s exhibition was called The Green Ray. He made some very beautiful paintings that represented connection with nature.
"The last thing we did was [go] for a walk around Goulburn to see all the street art. We were given a map and looked at unique and interesting artworks. The trip to Goulburn was fun and we got to explore different artworks and understand their meaning" - Daras.