Arts Programme
The arts have been very prominent at the Catalyst Festival since it began in 2013. Find out why we are so passionate about them.
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The arts play a far more important role in our lives than we often realise. The arts are one of the main ways that a culture comes alive. A thriving arts scene sets the tone. It can be the difference between colour and black and white, with the potential to bring significant joy and hope.
Whether it’s through your Spotify playlist or your Kindle library or the pictures you choose to decorate your living room with, for almost all of us, the arts add significant value to our lives.
Therefore, it’s vital that the artists in our churches serve our society through the arts. As we do this, as Christians, we trust that Jesus’ reputation will be enhanced and his church will be seen as a more attractive community to those who are presently outside of it.
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The arts don’t just bring colour to life though; they also play a vital role in fashioning and shaping the values and ideas that are cherished in a culture. Artists take the big ideas of the ‘thinkers’; they make them accessible to the masses, not just by communicating information to our minds but resonating with us emotionally.
For a worldview or philosophy to take root in a culture, it needs the arts to prepare the way; otherwise, for all its good ideas, it may well find itself shouting loud, but going completely unheard. Perhaps this sounds a bit close to home, as Christianity is a case in point here. While many have engaged with the arts effectively to shape world views in recent times, the church has almost completely withdrawn from this field. We’d like to help change this situation.
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Therefore, whether you would consider yourself creative or not, whether you are an arts lover or an arts sceptic, come and check out our exhibitions and workshops and experience some of our performers and musicians. We are looking to encourage a whole new generation of Christian artists to make art of excellence that has the power to speak subtly and authentically into our culture.
LIVE MUSIC: SUNDAY AFTERNOON
OUTDOOR STAGE, FESTIVAL SQUARE (12:30-4pm)
Gospel Vibez Takeover
An afternoon of Afrobeats, rap and gospel
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Hip hop, Afrobeat, Gospel, RnB, Reggae: 4Fingaz is a diverse, award winning, talented, charismatic artist that has God at the centre of all he does.
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Spiritual, uplifting, reflective and family-orientated, yet unmistakably rap — this is what defines Kio’s sound.
Rooted in faith, storytelling that’s unapologetically honest with raw, gritty hip-hop energy, his music connects instantly, urging response and participation rather than sitting quietly in the background.
Known for fusing rap with wider musical worlds, Kio blends samba and bossa nova influences on 'LOVE LIFE', and leans into rich jazz textures on his latest 'BLACK LOUNGE LIVE EP', pushing his sonic boundaries while keeping rap lyricism at the core.
Backed by BBC Introducing, BBC 1Xtra, BBC Radio 6, GRM Daily, Rapzilla and KSI’s Sidemen, Kio’s projects, such as '4 Psalms', led to a headline show at O2 Academy Islington, followed by standout performances at KOKO Camden, Ronnie Scott’s and Brixton Jamm.
Spotify
Instagram
Youtube -
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Aggz_Music Non conforming, Non compromising fully surrendered Christian, Gospel singer, Rapper, song writer.
Website:https://open.spotify.com/artist/6DJwaWB1B3axkmiWXRdB2t
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aggz_music
LIVE MUSIC: MONDAY AFTERNOON
OUTDOOR STAGE, FESTIVAL SQUARE (12:30-4pm)
Monday Music Mashup
An eclectic afternoon of live neo-soul, indie and grime
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Returning to the Festival
Website: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1knchNxEe5SUHVxBwAcbgj
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kwak_zino/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYJyuhU00A2Wh1i3X2D1fxA
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Folk-Grunge independent singer-songwriter, Jessie brings a raw, vibrant energy to the stage. She’s a storyteller with a soulful rock edge who talks about real life. Bringing Jesus into the sticky floors of everyday moments.
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Rebekah Young is a Neo-Soul meets R&B artist from the North East of England. With so much influence from artists such as Amy Winehouse and Lauryn Hill, she intends to communicate stories, moments of time through music whilst also sharing her faith. With the roll out of her upcoming EP, her 5 year hiatus will end as she shares new music in 2026 with her band.
Website: https://hotvox.co.uk/artist/rebekah-young/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rbkhyng/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@rbkhyng
Sputnik Art Workshops
Sputnik will be running a number of art workshops throughout the Festival where you can join professional artist and creators to learn a new skill.
All workshops are for ages 14+ and will take roughly two hours.
Registration for all workshops is available via Eventbrite here.
Sunday Workshops
Find your colours: Painting workshop
with Glenda Gibson
When: Sunday 25th May / 1-3pm
Max capacity: 30
Venue: Members Lounge
Feeling a bit lost when painting? Wondering if you are using the best colours? Artist Glenda Gibson will help you understand colours as pigments and how that works in different types of paint such as watercolours and acrylic. She will explain a limited pallet, identifying components of a successful collection of colours and going through some exercises that help you find and mix colours you love.
When: Sunday afternoon / 1-2 pm and 2:30-3:30pm
Max capacity: 15 at each session (30 overall)
Venue: Holstein Hut
Join the Songwriter’s Circle — a welcoming space for writers of all levels to share ideas, test new material, and receive supportive, constructive feedback. Hosted by artist and professional songwriter Jessie Dipper, this session invites you to bring songs live or recorded and grow your craft among like‑minded creatives.
Songwriters’ Circle
with Jessie Dipper
CATALYST//COMPILED
with Elizabeth J Birch
When: Sunday and Monday
(open for business 12:30-5)
Max capacity: N/A
Venue: Sputnik HQ (rear of HUB 1)
The Sputnik Team are going to create a sound and visual art piece at the Catalyst Festival and we need your help! We’re looking for musicians, performers, visual artists, and to be honest, anyone who’d be up for helping out.
You could contribute a poem, song, picture, performance or get involved in the technical side of things, recording or filming some interesting festival sights and sounds.
Musician Elizabeth J. Birch and film maker Luke Furmage will be supervising the project and if you’d like to get involved, contact the Sputnik team (office@sputnikfaith.art) before the festival or just turn up at the Cator Room on Sunday or Monday afternoon.
No need to book in for this session.
Monday Workshops
I come from… :
Poetry Workshop
with Clare Currie
When: Monday 25th May / 1-3pm
Max capacity: 15
Venue: Holstein Hut
Join poet and playwright Clare Currie in an accessible workshop exploring the memories that make us - using sound,film and text to inspire the creation of our own poetic piece. No prior writing experience necessary!
CATALYST//COMPILED
with Elizabeth J Birch
When? Sunday and Monday
(open for business 12:30-5)
Max capacity: N/A
Venue: Sputnik HQ (rear of HUB 1)
The Sputnik Team are going to create a sound and visual art piece at the Catalyst Festival and we need your help! We’re looking for musicians, performers, visual artists, and to be honest, anyone who’d be up for helping out.
You could contribute a poem, song, picture, performance or get involved in the technical side of things, recording or filming some interesting festival sights and sounds.
Musician Elizabeth J. Birch and film maker Luke Furmage will be supervising the project and if you’d like to get involved, contact the Sputnik team (office@sputnikfaith.art) before the festival or just turn up at the Cator Room on Sunday or Monday afternoon.
No need to book in for this session.
When: Monday 26th May / 1-3pm
Max capacity: 20
Venue: Members Lounge
Would you like to have some creative fun? Loosen up? Try something a little bit different that you can easily do at home? Come to an introduction to monoprinting . Artist Donna Drouin will show you how to use layers of ink to build colour, texture and line to create expressive prints.
Printmaking workshop
with Donna Drouin
Catalyst 26 Art Gallery
HUB 1
Saturday afternoon ‘till Tuesday morning
Continuing a longstanding Catalyst Festival tradition, we’ve put together a gallery of visual art from in and around the Catalyst family of churches. You can only access it before and after meetings though, so it’s another reason to get in nice and early!