*The Faerie Queene* Now: remaking religious poetry for today's world

Lead Research Organisation: University of Birmingham
Department Name: Department of English Literature

Abstract

This project investigates religion and society by rescuing a neglected poem, one of the great epics of English literature, Edmund Spenser's *The Faerie Queene*. A poem of militant Protestantism contemporary with the original establishment of the national church, *The Faerie Queene* (FQ) is remote from mainstream secular society, and from its relatively quiescent and marginalised official church. Paradoxically, in present-day England Spenser's poem has most in common with the insurgent religious intensity of other, 'minority' faiths. And yet, poetry itself has, since Spenser, lost much of its power to speak to and intervene in issues of fundamental social and religious concern.

*The Faerie Queene Now* (TFQN) responds by remaking religious poetry for today's world. It speaks to where we have come from and where we are going by exploring Spenser's foundational poem in various present-day religious, educational and cultural contexts. But it also aims to recreate and refunction Spenser's epic as a positive contribution to contemporary life. In doing this it hopes to bring some of the energy of Spenser's art and moment into official English religion, which it also hopes to open further to energetic and diverse elements not allowed for or even foreseen by the original national church. At the same time, it aims to bring official religion into creative dialogue with other groups in English society that are entirely beyond incorporation into any established church. In short, TFQN seeks via poetry and the imagination the greatest possible representation of religious and secular interests in relation to our shared inheritance and to those issues of religion and society which, one way or another, matter to us all.

The project splits into two main component projects.

One is the Liturgy Project, which seeks to create new liturgical texts and solidarity-builiding rituals for contemporary society inspired by the quest for holiness in Book 1 of Spenser's epic. Here the PI, Ewan Fernie, will work in conjunction with major poet and Co-I Jo Shapcott, and the theologian Andrew Shanks, who has made a case for 'shaken poetry' as a source of religious renovation. This team will prepare two extraordinary, inclusive services for the two very different environments of Manchester Cathedral and St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, working in each case with an impressive group of consultants including scholars, artists and theologians. The culminating event in Windsor will feature Andrew Motion and form part of the Windsor Spring Festival. The St George's Day event in Manchester will be preceded by a procession, through the city streets, with Catalan-style 'gegants', giant puppet figures, representing Spenserian figures. The liturgical texts will be published with a critical introduction.

This will be complemented by the Fable and Drama Project, in which writer Simon Palfrey and director Elisabeth Dutton will evolve new stories and a play through intense collaboration with heterogeneous educational communities: two ethnically diverse comprehensive secondary schools, both from socially deprived wards; and the radically different students of Oxford University. The aim here will be to recover and communicate the trials and possibilities of virtue - religious and secular - in contemporary life. The culminating events will be the publication of a book of the project, illustrated by student collaborators, and a closed performance at Shakespeare's Globe.

The projects will come together in two events of reflection, dialogue and synthesis: a public arts event run by the Poet in the City charity at major London venue King's Place and a two-day cross-sector conference at Cumberland Lodge.

The overall project will come to fruition in a major collection of essays revealing what Spenser has to give to the arts, society and religion, entitled *The Faerie Queene Now!*, and modelled on fernie and palfrey's Shakespeare Now! Series.

Planned Impact

TFQN is from the first and throughout concerned to link up with users and beneficiaries of research outside the academic community. There is no need for an additional 'action plan' to assure the impacts listed here as they are already thoroughly integrated in the project.

WHO WILL BENEFIT?

The specific beneficiaries will be the project partners and the wider communities they belong to:

in the ecclesiastical sector-primarily, Manchester Cathedral and St George's Chapel, but also other churches and the Church of England more generally

in the schools sector-primarily, the George Mitchell and Bishop David Brown schools but also Eton College and the sector in general

in the cultural sector-primarily, the Windsor Festival, Cumberland Lodge, the Poet in the City charity, Shakespeare's Globe

As well as, more broadly,

the local communities of London E10, Woking, the Windsor area and the Manchester Metropolitan area.

HOW WILL THEY BENEFIT?

THE ECCLESIASTICAL SECTOR

Manchester Cathedral and St Georges will benefit by: developing new liturgical resources which negotiate with the wider community, as well as from being brought into conjunction with an impressive group of artists, scholars and religious authorities and from bringing in an extraordinary congregation for the culminating events; Manchester will benefit by establishing a new liturgical and civic celebration of St George's day, and from strengthening its bid to be considered The Poetry Cathedral in England.

It is anticipated that other churches will benefit from the published liturgies.

Moreover, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Liturgical Commission are aware of the project and there will be a publication in *Church Times* as well as considerable other press.

THE SCHOOLS SECTOR

George Mitchell and Bishop David Brown schools will benefit by: trialling new engagements with English literature which address and involve the distinctive cultural and religious experience of their pupils and by involvement in a creative and exciting research project and new contacts with various 'high art' institutions.

Eton College will benefit from its Muslim Tutor 's involvement in the liturgy project and by participation in the event in St George's Chapel.

The schools sector more generally will benefit from reports in the *English Association Newsletter* and *The English Subject Centre Newsletter* and from teachers' participation in the Cumberland Lodge conference, as well as from the reusable resource of Palfrey's book of the schools project, *Virtue!*.

THE CULTURAL SECTOR

The Windsor Festival will benefit from the project by running the culminating event of The Faerie Queene Liturgy Project as its central event for the 2011 Spring Festival.

Cumberland Lodge will benefit by acquiring a conference that fits in with its mandate to bridge the academic and wider cultural spheres and to address and discuss matters of contemporary social significance.

The Poet in the City charity will benefit from the project by acquiring a major event to run in central London which fits in with its general mission to link poetry with social health and wellbeing.

Shakespeare's Globe will benefit from the project by collaborating on a set of workshops which resonate with objectives of improving knowledge of Shakespeare's Elizabethan contexts and involving school children who would not normally interact with and benefit from 'high art' institutions.

LOCAL COMMUNITIES

The Windsor area will benefit from the project inasmuch as it brings together a group of local institutions in a high-profile project which will enhance social, cultural and religious life in the locality.

The Manchester Metropolitan area will benefit from a major St George's Day event.

Representatives from the very different localities involved - East London, Woking, Windsor,

Publications

10 25 50
 
Title Demon's Land 
Description A funded film being made by Professor Simon Palfrey which grows out of the original grant 
Type Of Art Film/Video/Animation 
Year Produced 2016 
Impact This will be shown widely, including at Stow, National Trust, and joins original project team members with new collaborators such as Tom de Freston. It has been funded by the John Fell Fund and the Torch Fund, both of Oxford University. 
 
Title Edmund Spenser 
Description Liturgy and fable drama peformances 
Type Of Art Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) 
Year Produced 2011 
Impact Major King's Place Performance 
 
Title RSC Redcrosse: A New Celebration of England and St George 
Description Play/poetic liturgy with music 
Type Of Art Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) 
Year Produced 2011 
Impact Premieres of new liturgy in Windsor Castle and Manchester Cathedral 
 
Title Redcrosse: The Music 
Description Musical Performance 
Type Of Art Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) 
Year Produced 2011 
Impact Major performance by Acoustic Triangle and the Choir of RHUL in Romsey Abbey 
 
Title Redcrosse:A New Celebration of England and St.George 
Description New poetic liturgy with music 
Type Of Art Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) 
Year Produced 2011 
Impact Symbolically significant performance in Royal Chapel, Windsor 
 
Title Redcrosse:A New Celebration of England and St.George 
Description Poetic Liturgy with Music 
Type Of Art Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) 
Year Produced 2012 
Impact RSC Performance in Coventry Cathedral 
 
Title The Faerie Queene Play: The Wounds of Possibility 
Description Play 
Type Of Art Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) 
Year Produced 2011 
Impact Useful feedback, leading to further development of play 
 
Title The Sunday Programme, Radio 4, 7.10-7.50, 8/05/11 
Description Radio Broadcast 
Type Of Art Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) 
Year Produced 2011 
Impact Widespread impact, stimulating further interest 
 
Title The Wounds of Possibility 
Description Play 
Type Of Art Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) 
Year Produced 2011 
Impact Feedback resulted in further development of the play 
 
Description We have made a significant contribution to understanding the ways in which religion, society and literature interface, and we have demonstrated new ways in which all these things come together.
Exploitation Route Our findings have stimulated further conversations, projects and performances (of the new civic and inclusive Redcrosse liturgy we developed for St George's day, of the new play we developed as part of the grant) in various venues across the country. The RSC performance of Redcrosse in Coventry Cathedral itself stimulated much conversation and further activity likely to lead to new projects in the future.
Sectors Creative Economy

Education

Culture

Heritage

Museums and Collections

Other

 
Description They have stimulated debate and activity within the academy, the church and the cultural industries.
First Year Of Impact 2011
Sector Creative Economy,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections,Other
Impact Types Cultural

Societal

 
Description AHRC Follow-on Fund RC Grant reference: AH/P004652/1
Amount £98,325 (GBP)
Funding ID AH/P004652/1 
Organisation Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start  
 
Description John Fell Fund / Torch Fund, Oxford University
Amount £11,400 (GBP)
Organisation University of Oxford 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 08/2015 
End 09/2015
 
Description A Midsummer Night's Dream Liturgy for 2016 
Organisation University of Oxford
Department Regent's Park College
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution I have been a consultant on this new initiative which grows directly out of the Redcrosse project of remaking religious poetry to today's world and has commissioned major contemporary poets to produce a new liturgy for the Shakespeare anniversary of 2016
Collaborator Contribution They have commissioned and written a new poetic liturgy which follows on from the aims of the Redcrosse project which was a major outcome of the original grant
Impact The collaboration will result in a new liturgy, to be performed at Holy Trinity Church in the anniversary year. It is multi-disciplinary, involving literary studies, poetry, and theology, much like the original project
Start Year 2015
 
Description A Fairy Tale for the 21st Century 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Article and Interview with Ewan Fernie

Further interest in the topic and an increase in its media profile
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2010
 
Description Being an Allegory 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Lecture and Seminar

Further enquiries into the work of the project
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2011
 
Description Blowing Up the Faerie Queene 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact Lecture given at Brasenose College

More engagement from schools
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2011
 
Description Manchester Cathedral event depicting St George as black goes ahead despite controversy 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Newspaper article

helped to raise profile
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2011
 
Description Poets Enlist for Quest to Pull St George from the Jaws of Far Right 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Guardian newspaper article

Much public and media interest
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2011
 
Description Saint George, the Canon and a Flood of Right Wing Hate' 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Newspaper article

National newspaper, The Independent, brought the work of the project to the attention of a large number of people
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2011
 
Description The Wounds of Possibility 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Participants in your research and patient groups
Results and Impact Lecture

International intellectual interest and exchange
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2012