A week of worship, art and community comes to Swansea

The week runs from Wednesday 1st to Sunday 5th July, and takes in everything from art and sculpture to outdoor worship, contemplative prayer and a barbecue on the beach.

At its heart, said Rev'd Ian Folks, vicar of St James and priest in the Swansea Ministry Area, is an invitation to encounter something that doesn't change — whatever form the worship takes.

"Some involve music written in the last couple of years, some involve liturgy and music that's been done for hundreds and even thousands of years," he said, "but that hasn't changed our ability as humans to come through these acts of worship and encounter that which is unchanging."

Two visual installations run throughout the week. Jeremy Thomas's exhibition The Human One — a series of around 30 paintings on the life of Christ — is open daily from 10am to 3pm at St James Church, Walter Road. At Swansea Minster, Peter Barnes's mosaic sculpture of the Last Supper is open daily.

On Thursday evening, Still Waters at St James brings together contemporary music, art and worship. Friday brings a free barbecue on the beach, meeting at the Observatory on the Slipway, preceded by Compline — one of Christianity's oldest forms of prayer, Ian said, and "very beautiful".

Saturday offers two further options: Wild Church at Port Eynon at 3pm, run by the Wonder of Wellbeing project; and Taizé at St Paul's, Sketty at 7pm.

The week is open to everyone. "We hope that someone from outside the church will look and think, okay, I've not really done the whole church thing before," Ian said. "It's something a little bit different."

All are welcome.