“Your deeds don’t define you”: An innovative community exhibition

What do we let define ourselves? Our appearance? Our past? Our ambitions? Well, at the Holy Biscuit, in Shieldfield, Newcastle, they’re allowing you to explore what truly defines you. With their newest exhibition, “Your deeds don’t define you” – in quotation marks – it gives you a time and space to dig deep and think about how you would define yourself.

The Holy Biscuit is a refurbished Methodist Church and has been renovated to become a creative hub for everyone. They have collaborated with many artists in the past and host a wide range of events, as well as art exhibitions every year.

In this exhibition, the arts organisation has included various artists to showcase their identity through the fresh concept of looking beyond the material things that would otherwise define some people. But, instead emotionally connecting ourselves with what we would like to allow to give us our very own definition.

Artists like David Lisser, Olya Bowers and Junction42 who have worked with prisoners have been a part of this wonderful showcase.

They were given questions: “How have you been defined?” and “How would you define yourself?” to help create their murals.

Lorna Bryan, 29, Development Officer at The Holy Biscuit has encountered a personal connection with David Lisser’s “To Do”. She says, “His work embodies Georges Perec’s observation that everything can be listed. Writing to-do lists turns my anxiety into hope. I am left with a sense of hope that the task will be completed in the future.” By checking off a list, she believes that we can see how much we’ve achieved of our expectations and set more goals.

Whilst John Carr, Project Manager of Cornerstone, wants us to realise that our deeds do not define us. “Your worst deeds don’t define you. But if your worst deeds don’t define you, neither do your best deeds,” Mr Carr says. Outlining the fact that there is both good and bad in mankind. What he believes to define us is the attributes and qualities that God himself has created us with. Rather than the physicalities of a person.

So, whilst the organisation may have religious roots, they want to assure people that there is something good inherently about everyone as human beings – whether or not you believe in God.

Many people define themselves differently. Some according to their achievements on earth, some on their mistakes, and others on their personality.

Only you know your identity and therefore you can only define yourself. So, don’t miss an opportunity to visit this arts showcase and share a moment with your loved ones.

The exhibition is running till April 2 2016 and is free of charge for all ages.

For more information, visit: http://www.theholybiscuit.org/about-us/