How long is a Passion Play?

Two characters from the Havant Passion Play - Barrabas and Jesus stand back to back.

How long is a Passion Play? They generally last between one and two hours.

Passion Plays take place every Easter. They tell the Easter story of the last days of Jesus’ life, his death and his resurrection. For many people, Passion Plays are a way to experience the Easter story in a way that makes it come to life and become more meaningful for them.

Isobel watched the Norwich Passion Plays and described the experience as a revelation:

It was a revelation to me.  When I was in the church “Peter” looked at me personally and said “Jesus loves you”… I was stunned. I never had that message delivered to me so strongly. It has remained in my heart and my mind since. I have made it light of my faith in recent years, being more a deist than a Christian, and irritated with all the Christian concepts. I feel like wanting to return to the fold now and I have this picture of Jesus with his arms wide opened.  It is amazing….

Some Passion Plays are performed as part of a longer dramatisation about the whole of Jesus’s life. The Havant Passion Play will take place in August 2023. The Chester Mystery Plays include a Passion Play in their performance in June and July.  The Wintershall Passion is performed at Easter and also during their summer performance; the ‘Life of Christ’.

Is fundraising like online dating?

Online dating is trying to find the right match among many differnet people. Fundraising for Passion Plays is similar to online dating in one respect: trying to find the right match for your Play among different trusts and funding charities. Finding this perfect match is the key to raising funds to tell the Easter story!

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 potential 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.

 

Where can I find more help with fundraising?

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

We have recorded sessions from previous Passion Trust Conferences including sessions looking at Finance & Fundraising, Administration and Practical Considerations, and Q&A sessions. You can see more information and watch short helpful videos 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 for help with fundraising

 

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A woman with a fierce expression on her face holds a sword above her head, ready to strike the person in front of her.

Staging Gethsemane

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82GBIgGvDYo[/embed] Simon Carter played Jesus in the Nottingham Passion Play...