Pick a Pocket NEWSLETTER December 2013
EXHIBITIONS & TOURS Roman Road ... 2 Object Conference ... 3 People Not Poverty ... 4 Liz and the Lions ... 5 PROJECTS Disposable ... 8 Koshe ... 9 India ... 10 Wildnis & Lichtung ... 12
cover art: Savannah Graham text: Joshua Davison design: Noelle Kong
exhibitions & tours photo credit: Ryan Burns
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Roman Road Pick A Pocket was proud to present Roman Road, a solo show by Pocketeer Stephen Sou in China this October. The series, featuring ink and acrylic work and two large graffiti murals, illustrates a narrative he created chronicling a young man’s journey of redemption and restoration to an identity in Christ. The narrative, rich in biblical allegory, was handed out to viewers at the gallery as a companion to the exhibition. Presenting the gospel through the medium of art allowed him to take an uncompromising gospel message into a closed country and watch as it engaged hundreds. Opening night, featuring music from members of our team and many local friends presenting music and dance, drew over a thousand people. Every day, pieces evoked something in viewers on a spiritual level and provoked candid conversation on topics such as purpose, identity, sin, and redemption.
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Object Conference In November, Pick A Pocket partnered with our friends in Hope Dies Last to bring a pop-up exhibition to Hamburg for their very first conference on counteracting human trafficking. The Object Conference brought together over 500 people under the banner of ‘…on bringing justice and engaging cultural transformation’ to learn from prominent figures in this field, network with others of a like mind, and then hit the streets. We hold this issue close to heart in Pick A Pocket, and believe that the arts are an integral part of wading into culture and redirecting the current, so we couldn’t miss this opportunity to get involved. The gallery, co-ordinated by Ashley Davis, featured work from several Pocketeers and the students of MOTA, who came en masse to the conference as part of a school outreach. Through our art, we seek to enter an area seldom ventured into by many Christians outside the safety of statistics and condemnation, presenting a human face where both church and secular culture objectify in their own ways. Many pieces are the product of artists whose personal interactions inside the red light area, whether hostile or redemptive have impacted them deeply. Find out more about Hope Dies Last at www.hopedieslast.org
artwork by: Ryan Burns (top) Savannah Graham Ashley Goodman
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people not poverty Every day, our world is inundated with an overwhelming stream of statistics. Disasters play out in front of us. We watch as poverty constricts life. Pleas for our help are so close and yet so remote. In Pick A Pocket, we hope to reconnect to our empathy and respond hopefully. Not only portraying suffering, but also humanity: beauty, dignity, and inherent worth. We desire not to deal only in statistics, but also in stories. This is what People Not Poverty is about. The People Not Poverty exhibition, our first as a collective, is just one expression of that mantra. Running from September to December here at Wildnis Gallery, it united different mediums and a variety of artists under this mandate. The exhibition also marked the first time two Pocketeers sold original works. page : 4
artwork by: Ruth Spreadborough (top) Theresa Francona (bottom)
on tour with
photo credit: Taylor Pool
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Liz and the lions 2013 saw Liz and the Lions traversing the Eurasian landmass and playing some of their biggest shows yet. After a Western Europe tour at the beginning of the year and several one-off gigs around Germany, October saw them return to one of the places where they’ve gotten the most love: China. Welcomed back with open arms, they were excited to see many friends from their previous tour, and overjoyed to find that seeds planted had been growing – even a few that they thought had fallen on hard ground. They packed some memorable shows into their short tour: at their first, they shared the stage with a dance troupe of long-term missionaries at a local university. Their second, at an open air venue, was attended by over 1000 people. They also made some new friends: “at the end of the trip 8 people gave their lives to Christ” says Liz. “Many of these people were being pursued by the long-term team for a while, but always had a wall up against hearing the gospel. Once they came in contact with the art and music, God broke the wall down and touched people in such a strong way that they could not deny that God was moving in their hearts. The impact was unbelievable.” The band’s second tour of this quarter found them headed south for the hospitable climes of Spain. They spent two weeks in and around Barcelona playing shows at festivals, houses, and every café in between, falling in love with the culture and cadence of the city. Being their final tour before closing out the year in Germany with a pair of Christmas shows, the Lions were ready to go out with all guns blazing. They kicked things off in an appropriate manner – a headlining spot at a youth festival made for a fantastic show, which was only slightly upstaged by the presence of Pocketeer Keila Olmo, native of Barcelona and well-loved as one-sixth page : 6
of the band Papel Mache. Many hearts were eager to respond to the battle cry that night and roar for those less fortunate than themselves. Over the next week, they played shows at an amazing café off the famed Plaza Catalonia, at a church, and at Casa Libertad, a community house started by YWAMers. Pocketeer Charlene Molino, who choreographed and presented a dance for the Lions’ song, Red Light on tour, also presented a masterclass at Hillsong Barcelona. The next weekend, the Lions played at a benefit concert for the work of Emsimision, a humanitarian organisation led by Keila Olmo’s father, Dr Angel Olmo. They joined a line-up of actors, artists, and musicians who all came together to present an evening of entertainment and information for over 200 guests, dignitaries, and members of the medical community. It was a successful evening of vision-building and storytelling. The Lions closed out a fruitful tour with several smaller shows and a short holiday together on the coast, where they enjoyed the incredible hospitality of three generations of Olmos. They are so thankful for the support they were shown, and all the conversations and inspiration they were able to share along the way! They look forward to seeing you at a show in 2014 and hearing you roar.
projects
photo credit: disposable project
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disposable project, london Another project Pick a Pocket had a hand in this year was Disposable – a grassroots photography collective made up entirely of homeless photographers armed with disposable cameras. The initiative of photographer Adele Watts (link), Disposable has been gathering momentum since its inception in the summer of 2012, and recently opened its second exhibition at London’s Four Corners Gallery alongside acclaimed photographer Heather McDonough.
Pocketeers Rebecca Meinhard and Matthew McCaigue recently spent some time in London to assist in project design and printing for the exhibition and its companion book. In creative community and with the aid of regular workshops, Disposable offers a platform for individuals who are often marginalized, to present their indispensable perspectives through photography.
These photos and more at: isthisdisposable.tumblr.com
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Koshe project, etHiopia
Soon, The Koshe Project will be celebrating its fourth year with a surprise community Christmas party. (Ethiopia follows an alternate calendar.) Holidays are always a difficult time for the Koshe girls and their families. Many don’t have the means to celebrate, and the vision is that the party will bring together the larger community affected by the work of Koshe and kick off the new year in hope and thankfulness after a tough season. The constant immediacy of poverty is heartbreaking for the Koshe team. They are fighting a deeply ingrained impoverished mentality, a mentality that has seen countless young Ethiopian women flock to countries such as Saudi Arabia in search of work as domestic servants. Here, they are intensely vulnerable to exploitation and cruelty for the promise of little more money than could be made at home. The government has made this illegal in light of the risks, but girls still find a way to go.
Sadly, many of the Koshe girls are starting to grow up and find themselves increasingly depended upon financially, and this year the project lost several girls to the lure of fast money in Saudi Arabia. Although they left with little warning, Koshe has been able to communicate with them to some degree. As far as it can be determined, they are safe for now. In the words of Melody, “they have left the country, but not God’s sight.” This has been devastating and very frustrating for the team, who pray for their safe return and trust that they are in God’s care. Nevertheless, the team is excited for plans that have been set in motion for the new year. Please pray that the planned celebration is a time where hope is reignited and strength is given. The team thanks you so much for making their work possible, and enabling them to share the vital and tangible love of Jesus! Stay tuned as the project enters a new phase.
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india In the midst of this busy season, Pick A Pocket leadership found time to visit our good friend and honorary Pocketeer Raj Kumar in India. Raj did a Discipleship Training School in Herrnhut in the fall of 2009 and immediately put his faith into action, opening a children’s mission in his hometown of Vijayawada. Visiting this home and connecting with Raj has been a dream of Pick a Pocket for a while, and much prayer and planning were invested in making this trip happen. In Vijayawada, the team was greeted warmly, and throughout the stay were continually humbled by the generosity shown them. Raj ministers to the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the children in his care with a zeal deserving of recognition. The program that he has built almost singlehandedly is a testament to his faith in a faithful God. Raj grew up observing parents around him regularly forced by their poverty to send their children away to orphanages, or worse, simply abandon them. So, in 2010 he decided to found a program that could keep them at home while providing them with the support and stability they need. His ministry is set up so that children can live with families (whether biological or foster) and remain integrated within their communities while still eating, studying, and being discipled together in a supportive environment.
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back in herrnhut
photo credit: Christopher Brooks
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wildnis & Lichtung These last few months have been exciting times for Wildnis Café and Gallery, with new faces, new furnishing, more events, and, most excitingly, the proud opening of our new shop, Lichtung. Lichtung is the culmination of hours of dreaming and building by a team of handmade artists and handymen. In the months leading up to the opening, salvaged doors become counters and light fixtures, old spools become pegs to hang clothes, and many hours of sewing, stitching, bargain-hunting and general creative fervor came together under one roof. The shop opened in conjunction with our new exhibition, and opening night featured music from Liz and the Lions, dance, rosemary spritzers, and a proper air of fanfare. As the weeks have rolled by, we’ve seen the shop become a wonderful avenue for sharing passion and creativity with our community and within our base. The café itself is experiencing exciting growth, and we continually look for new ways to provide a quality experience and engage in ministry. During the Discipleship Training School season our seating capacity was overwhelmed regularly. Things seem a lot quieter these days with students out of town on their outreach phase. But in the absence of students we’re seeing an even more exciting influx: locals and Germans from the area are starting to become familiar with the café. In the weeks leading up to Christmas we’ve had more chances than ever to connect with our community. This has been a huge encouragement to us, and in many ways we never expected it to happen so soon. The café will be closed until January, and we’d be thrilled if you paid us a visit in the new year! www.wildniscafe.de
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Thank you for your support and encouragement in
We look forward to sharing more stories with you throughout
We wish you all the best for the new year!
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