I
wonder whether you could help me create a life-size walk-in Nativity scene in
Sunderland Minster, to be displayed from Sunday 14th December (installed the
evening before) until after Sunday 4th January?
The
Bridges shopping centre has kindly lent us several mannequins to create our
scene, but they need dressing. My hope
is that this year we might be able to dress the characters in contemporary
clothes that reflect Sunderland today. Although this is a story that took
place some 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem, it has long been represented in the
costumes of the time and place where the story is being re-told: many of our
‘traditional’ ideas of what the characters look like derive from much later
European depictions.
We
are looking to dress Joseph, Mary, two or three shepherds, two angels, and
possibly three wise men (although these aren’t needed until the New Year).
If you can lend us any clothes,
please contact Revd Andrew Dowsett by email – minsterpriest@sunderlandminster.org
– or via the Minster office (open Monday-Friday 9am-3pm) on 0191 565 4066.
You will need to drop them off at the Minster during office hours, along with
your contact details. Anyone whose contribution we use will be credited by
name, unless they would prefer not to be.
Joseph
Joseph
was a descendant of King David. In a previous time, his future would have been
secure as a member of the royal court. But those days had passed, and that
future is no longer an option for that family. Joseph is a young man, trying to
make his way in the world as a builder. If Joseph were a Mackem, he might come
from a long line of miners or ship-builders. That option no longer open to him,
he might be an apprentice learning some other trade. He might wear a boiler
suit or overalls, with a high-vis vest.
Mary
Mary
was a teenage girl, who had just had her first baby. Mary and Joseph were
newly-weds, living with his relatives. Space was limited, but family is family.
Mary probably dresses like any teenage girl in her culture. Today she might
wear clothes that identify her with a particular youth sub-culture, expressing
belonging. Her baby might sleep in a makeshift crib, fashioned from a small
travel case.
The
shepherds
At
an earlier time, shepherds were well-regarded. King David started out as a
shepherd boy in Bethlehem. But over time, they had become social outcasts, in
large part because sheep caused damage to other people’s property. They remind
me of the youth of Sunderland, subject to misunderstanding and abuse from
people who have forgotten that they were once young themselves. Today the
shepherds might wear tracksuits or hoodies, and carry skateboards or even spray
cans.
The
angels
Forget
cute little girls with tinsel halos. The first response of people who
encountered them was to be afraid. Angels are large and imposing. They are
God’s messengers, and supernatural warriors. Today, they might well wear the
uniform of a bouncer or door staff, or army surplus. Shepherds would certainly
expect angels to tell them to move along or face trouble, not to give them VIP
tickets.
The
wise men
The
kings or wise men don’t turn up until later. At the Minster, we will mark their
visit on Sunday 4th January. They were scholars, and advisors to those in power
in distant cultures. Today they might be international postgraduates at the
University.
Thank
you in advance to anyone who is able to help contribute. I hope that together
we will be able to create an experience that will be a valuable part of the
Christmas preparations going on in the centre of Sunderland.
