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Christmas: Advent and Nativity Performances

PT Admin
December 11, 2020
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A carved angel with wings outstretched from the Christmas story.

Christmas is similar to Easter. There is also a period of preparation, known as Advent, before the celebrations of Christmas. Just as in Lent – the period of preparation before Easter. Advent is a special time of reflecting on our need for Jesus to come to us and rescue us from sin and death.

Many people who are involved in various Passion Plays have also prepared special performances for Advent.

The traditional Christmas story, with all the well known characters, told by one man – Neil Maddock! Drama, music, song, and even a little bit of dance combine for a unique telling of the nativity story.

Watch the nativity story here.

Drama Kirk have created “Jerusalem News”. This is a 12 minute, fun take on the nativity, from the perspective of a newsroom on that very first Christmas.

Watch ‘Jerusalem News’ here.

The cast and crew of the Havant Passion Play created a living Advent Calendar, posted on Facebook.

Watch the Living Advent Calendar here

This year you can experience the real Christmas story, as you walk through the beautiful grounds of the Wintershall Estate. Meet the Shepherds watching their sheep, spot the Angel as you climb the hill and help the Wise Men find the star!

Find out about the Winter Walk here

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Is fundraising like online dating?

Just like online dating, trying to find the right match among so many different trusts and funding charities is the key!

Once you find trusts and funders who are of a similar mindset and value the things you value, you are well on the way to a perfect match.

 

How do we find those funders?

The Charity Commission’s Register of Charities allows you to search for free by using filters to narrow your search. (Remember, Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate registers.)
Funding Central is another register that is free to access.
For a more expensive option, you can try the Directory of Social Change’s Funds Online website which is regularly updated.
Since Passion Plays bring many churches of all denominations together, your diocese can be a good source of information and signposting. For example, see the Diocese of Bristol and their list of funders here.  www.bristol.anglican.org/documents/diocesan-funding-guide/
The Christian Funders’ Forum is also a useful source.

 

How do we let funders know our project is a good match for them?

Now is the time to do some research and really think about compatibility with the funders you are researching.

You can research their online content, websites, and also Further information will be inread through their annual reports published on the Charity Commissions website (click ‘Documents’ tab). These annual reports will give useful imformation about projects they have previously funded.

A quick phone call can also be helpful in establishing contact and goodwill as you will be able to find out more about them and let them know what you do.

Remember here that one of the key elements is timing! Some funders have a set application process that requires you to apply before a deadline. Other funders have trustees’ meetings at set times during the year and those times are good to work with.

The timing of your project also matters. Some funders like to fund projects in the early stage of development, while others like to give funding when they see other funders have already contributed.

There is a lot to think about with fundraising! But Passion Plays are such unique projects that it can also be an enjoyable process. Many funders like to hear about large community arts events that tell the Easter story in fresh and inspiring ways. Not only do Passion Plays have large outdoor audiences across the UK each Easter, they are also unique spaces of community, skill-sharing, mentoring and investing in the lives of volunteers across all sections of society. They are more than a one-off performance and the impact spreads across the whole community for many months.

 

If you want more help with fundraising, we have plenty more tips and advice on our website here.

You can also find lots of helpful tips and advice at The Benefact Trust here or click on the image below.

three bullet points with rows of text and images in blue bubbles with white icons

 

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