As your lead or help lead Arts Network hubs we want to encourage you to plan wisely and prayerfully. Be courageous and creative and think of how you will best build each other up and reach out to your friends and coursemates.
Your hubs are run by you and catered to your context, but here are some term plan ideas that might help you get started. Of course feel free to adapt them to whatever your need is.
Get thinking
Find materials that you can watch, read, and study together to deepen your understanding of arts and the Bible. The Arts Network website has a growing selection of resources and studies for you to utilise in your hubs - watch recordings of lectures from our Interface events or check out our online articles. There are also an abundance of excellent books and online resources that we can recommend to you.
Get out there!
Explore your city by visiting your local theatres, galleries and cinemas together. Keep up to date with any upcoming shows and visit them together as a hub. Take time to discuss and analyse what you have seen together, this is a great way to listen well to our culture.
Get Creative
Why not host some practical fun and invite coursemates to join. You could spend an hour in a park sketching, organise a painting day, or host a writing workshop together.
Get others in
Don't think you have to go it alone - there will be many Christian creatives in your city that would love to come in and share their experience with you. These may be recent graduates or those with a great amount of experience in a creative field - ask them to join you for a Q&A event over a warm meal.
Get to know each other
Take time to get to know each other and your practices. 'Show and Tell' events are a great opportunity for you each to bring your recent work or projects to the group. This is a great opportunity to get feedback and to share ideas for development with one another.
1. Choose good places to meet
Remember to choose meeting places that are easily accessible to all and that take account for all of your groups needs. If you choose to meet on campus, do remember to book rooms in advance. If you can, meet in a consistent place, preferably one where you can easily chat without too much distraction.
2. Communicate well with your group!
Set up a Whatsapp group to keep up to date with what is happening. Make sure to send out reminders for upcoming meetings.
3. Ask for help
Speak to your Staff Worker and the Arts Network coordinator for advice and support in setting up and running your hubs.
4. Keep connected with your wider CU
Hubs shouldn't be a replacement for CU, but a space that specialises in blessing and reaching creatives. Keep your CU committee and wider CU members up to date with what your plans are and how they can pray for you. Make sure you aren't double booking yourself with CU meetings. Keep advertising your group in main CU meetings and encourage others to invite creatives they know to join you.
5. Plan ahead of time
Having a good schedule in mind and planning your activities well in advance makes for a less stressful time when your meetings come around. Last minute panic planning the night before a hub meeting is not good for anyone.