The Swiss Church

  • Kristen Kreider (Participant)

Activity: OtherPublic engagement, outreach and knowledge exchange - Festival/exhibition

Description

The Swiss Church in Covent Garden offers within it's 19th Century listed building a modern and open space, brought out by the renovations made by the Swiss architects Christ & Gantenbein. Within this space the Church will host a cultural programme reflecting the spirit of the building and it's history meeting the needs of various people: not only of the parishioners, but also those of people interested in the culture and art of the city, as well as people working in the area, seeking a place to go between their work place and home. The cultural events of the Swiss Church support this idea and help to invigorate church life as well. The programme consists of two parts: a concert series and visual arts events.

Music at 79 Endell Street
A committee that includes music professionals proposes and selects musicians to perform at the Swiss Church in London. These musicians are either Swiss or perform music by Swiss composers. They are either young promising musicians, demonstrating high motivation and talent, or internationally recognized musicians, known in both Switzerland and in the UK. The content of the concert series ranges from classical recitals to jazz evenings and world music performances.

Art at 79 Endell Street
The Swiss Church organises film screenings, as well as other visual arts events, inviting artists to exhibit, or occasionally to create or curate works specific to the renovated building and it's spiritual framework.

The central aim of this visual arts programme is to create dialogue and debate around issues of exhibiting and making work within the Church, a sacred space where theology and faith meet contemporary art discourse. This dialogue and debate is further developed through a series of panel discussions and public conversations linked to the specific exhibitions within the church. We believe that the nature of Christ and Gantenbein's renovations create a unique space for such an interaction to take place.

Kreider + O'Leary exhibited 'In the Midst' in The Swiss Church as part of the exhibition In Light of Transient Aims ...
PeriodOct 2003