BELLEHERST PRODUCTIONS...crossing borders to communicate

TURNING THE YEAR -with silver linings

December 2013

In This Issue

Equipping the Source

Producing the Message

Opening Effectual Doors

Planting the Truth

News Flash

Since the explosion of the internet and the age of electronic communication, Belleherst has dabbled therein, more from necessity than from efficiency. However, prayer, advice and a prophetic spirit has moved our gravity-heavy feet and we are now on them running. 2014 will see us putting dramatic performances on Youtube, the posting of podcasts, the putting interviews, major discussions and significant sermons on the blog. Be on the watch!

Quick Links...

Our Website

Belleherst Productions

Blog:http:

trailmixforthespirit.blogspot.com

Products

Keeper of the Gift (ebook)(Available on the website under the 'Resources' page and click on books & DVD)

Services

For details on our services log on to our website

Training

Performances

Directing

Youtube Links

Belleherst Productions: See Me! Hear Me!

Belleherst Productions-Candles in the Window-

Kerzen im Fenster

Polish Christian School for Movement Theatre

More About Us

Belleherst Productions is a California non-profit organization directly supported by individual and small group donors. If you wish to donate to Belleherst click onto our website and navigate to the 'Support' page.

If you would like more detailed information or a personal contact with us please use the contact details below.

belleherst@info.com

GALLERY

Polish Christian School for Movement Theatre

Kathleen with sponsor of Polish school, Wacek Bylok since 1991

5 Star Production-The Belle of Amherst in Dance

The Belle...coming to San Diego in 2014

Candles in the Window -based on the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Kuldigas Art Studio for Movment Theatre , Latvia.

See Me! Hear Me!

on human trafficking

Rehearsal photo from Polish production of the I AM Giver

Midsummer Night's Dream for Young People, Poland

Purity is to Will One Thing

The Book of Ruth

Breath on Breath

Street theatre -Poland 2010

Street theatre - Poland 2010

30 Years in a Basket

Kathleen at the Polish school

'It's all about loving them' - Kathleen

That is why Jesus, in order to sanctify the people by his own blood, also suffered outside the city gate. Therefore go to him outside the camp and endure the insults he endured. For here we have no permanent city but are looking for the one that is coming. Heb. 13:12-14

Dear friends and partners,

My recollection of 2013 leaves me with a deep conviction about taking our witness outside the city walls. We are called there and the LIGHT shines brightest there in the darkness. Having just spent two days in an intense snow storm in Latvia without electricity, I have a new-found appreciation for how powerful the smallest light is in the middle of darkness. However, we will need strength, courage and the power of the Holy Spirit to go there; but go we must. Belleherst is taking the most light-filled of its productions and facing the inhabitants of darkness. It's time to equip the sources, form the message, open effectual doors for the Gospel to go forth and plant deeply the seeds of the Truth. We're committed in spite of the rocks thrown out there.

We Thank you for your prayers and support and for being on the journey with us.

Kathleen Ann Thompson

EQUIPPING THE SOURCE

It has been such a joy this year to train some of the most important talent I have uncovered in the 20 + years of teaching and directing the Polish Christian Studio for Movement Theatre and the

2013 Musical Theatre class Poland

Kuldigas Gospel Art Studio in Latvia. We have upgraded the classes, workshops, seminars and master classes to match this maturing of talent. This year Belleherst offered training in acting, musical theatre, commedia dell'arte, breath, dance, masks and production work.

Besides our schools, this year Kathleen has taught 'outside the walls' at the Riga College of Arts and for the EU Greundwig Foundation in Poland.

PRODUCING THE MESSAGE

The I AM Giver

I AM Giver in English

n 2007 Belleherst felt spiritually impressed about creating a production for 5-11 year olds to reinforce their identity in God and the knowledge that they are to him a great treasure. Belleherst welcomes Poland this year as the newest country to produce this children's musical in their own

I AM Giver in Polish (rehearsal photo)

language. Agnes von Below and Bettina Krauter produced the German version last year, and have been touring it in 2013. This musical which uses simple stick puppets is such a brilliant example of how the creative imaginations of children are able to access the most profound of spiritual truths with clever and skilled theatrical inspiration. They don't need a hi-tech presentation. The audiences are addicting in their enthusiasm.

Der ICH BIN Geber in German

The Last Dressing

In October Belleherst premiered their newest production. Enveloped in the frame of a fairy tale, The Last Dressing unpacks one of Christianity's greatest mysteries written for us in Ephesians 1:4-6 - our high calling in Christ. Once we believe this, we understand that all things in our lives move us toward that glorious destiny; positive and negative. The journey is a glorious one.

Read the story behind the production in Kathleen's blog.

Purity is to Will One Thing

Purity is to Will One

One cannot deny the obvious morality slide of our culture and its resistance to God's directive to us to grow in purity. Living a life of purity is designed by God to empowered us to access the passionate love God has for us at levels which defy our expectation. This was the stimulus which lead Belleherst to begin to address the false story our culture is telling us concerning our sexuality. Belleherst proposes that a life-style lived in purity is the most avantgarde, counter-culture, alternative life-style possible in our world today. Purity is to Will One Thing continued to tour in these countries; Croatia, Germany, Poland, Latvia with formal forums, discussion groups and sermons following the performance.

Midsummer Night's Dream for Young People

I.D. Check

Midsummer Night...

'Love is Love', as a contemporary slogan begs the question; If love is so simple as that, why are we so confused about it? Belleherst explored this conundrum in two productions this year played by the theatre groups of the Christian Polish School for Movement Theatre:

Midsummer Night...

Midsummer Night's Dream for Young People and I.D. Check.

Perhaps the confusion in MidsummerNight's Dream concerning the fickleness of man's love, to a great deal, is rooted in not really knowing what the truth is about his true identity in God.

I.D. Check

Midsummer Night's...was on tour in October in the south of Poland to schools and churches.

I.D. Check was the Polish schools summer production for the class of 2012/13. It took to the streets in a season of evangelism in July challenging our culture's veracity and right to master-minding our identities for us.

Journey to There

Latvia's Purple Line Theatre made a huge step this year in producing a large-scale musical which chronicles the arduous journey of Little Miss Much Afraid to the Kingdom of Love. Moving into the difficult skill level of musical theatre was a courageous step for Latvia's small theatre.

Gary Peinke, director of Spotlight Studio in Germany, wrote an original score and came to Latvia to train the singers. Hard work and faith underpinned the casts efforts and the musical premiered in July in Limbazi, Latvia at a national festival.

The musical's very pointed message of our need to surrender our own desire for self-love to Christ and received His unfathomable love for us in exchange met with a polarizing response in this very secular festival. Belleherst is so very proud of the cast's strong faith and courage to take the Truth 'outside the walls' and face the rocks.

The production gets stronger with every performance and was recommended for two large festivals in 2014. The cast is not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Pictures from Journey to There

OPENING EFFECTUAL DOORS

Kathleen and student of the Polish school

Much prayer underpinned production efforts this year for effectual doors to be open so that the Gospel could go forth. Belleherst jumped into every possible door as God established the work of our hands and toured eight of their own productions and two productions in partnership with the Polish and Latvian schools.

Premieres:

Purity is to Will One Thing - Croatia, Poland, Latvia, Germany

The Last Dressing - Germany, U.S.

Revivals:

30 Years in a Basket - U.S.

Ruth - France, U.S., Poland

The Prisoner - Poland

Thompson and Below present EMILY - Germany

Breath on Breath - Switzerland

See Me! Hear Me! - Poland

Schools:

Journey to There - Latvia

Midsummer Night's Dream for Young People - Poland

Each performance was followed up by public forums. small discussion groups, street evangelism, theatre interviews and/or pod casts. Major topics were:

The false story being told about our sexuality in our culture

What the current trend of graphic sex and nudity on the stage really means.

Why Purity is an avantgarde, counter-culture life style.

The confusion about giving and getting in relationships of love

Our culture's desperate need for intimacy only met in God

Understanding the negatives in our life as part of our high calling in Christ.

Knowing our true identity in God and not being mis-identified by society

Kathleen and Cieszka, Polish School managing director, in discussion with audience after Midsummer Night's Dream for Young People

PLANTING THE TRUTH

Belleherst, with the greatest of joy, carried the Word this year to many churches and small groups and organizations. However, the most significant opportunity to speak about the perfect love and the infallible wisdom of God was

Candlelight discussion at the Polish school

experienced at the candlelight nights of open discussion at the Polish School. It's a myth to think that young people are not interested in a spiritual life. These special nights

of true intimacy were deeply moving and relationally bonding.

Other opportunities for planting the Word were:

The Living Savior Church - Geneve, Switzerland

The Living Word Church - Kuldigas, Latvia

Christ the King Church - Krakov, Poland

Malachim - Munich - Germany

Pentecostal Church Good News-Bialystok,Poland

THANK YOU

Belleherst wants to extend such a vigorous thank you for the prayers and support all year. We especially express our gratitude for your support for the 'Light the Stage' project in Latvia. After 20 years of working in Latvia with next to no provisions which theatres normally finds necessary, we are now at step one on a five step program to create a regional permanent theatre, "The Well", for the area of Kuldigas, Latvia. Our vision is to have a permanent theatre where people can come all year round and receive living water from 'The Well' - children and adults alike. Step one - a stage area and a beginning inventory of lights - Accomplished! Thank you. Step two - an overhead grid to hang lights and other theatrical effects from - still a vision- we appreciate your prayers and support of every kind.

With deepest appreciation for you,

Kathleen Ann Thompson

Artisitic Director, Belleherst Productions

Some of our supporting friends

Performing Arts Workshop

Encinitas , California

http://dancepaw.com/

Horizon Gate Productions

http://horizongate.org

Malachim Dance Ministry

Munich,Germany

South Park Trust

United Kingdom