Episcopal School of Jacksonville issued the following announcement on Aug. 17.
Each year in the Fine Arts department, we choose a theme based on Scripture that grounds us as artists and educators toward unified creative expression. Within the framework of the arts, we are extremely diverse in our mediums of expression. A potter and an actor seem to have very little in common, until you realize that both are creating and shaping something lifeless (clay and a scripted character) into a meaningful and intentional work of art. We have therefore found it helpful each year to work off of a common theme which we use to inspire our performances and our projects.
This year we have selected the theme “Deeply Rooted and Overflowing” based on the scripture from Colossians:
Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. Colossians 2:7
We are rooted and established in Christ and we will, when we take hold of this truth, overflow with gratitude. Our understanding of this principle should serve to drive all of our passions and pursuits as artists. This theme also allows us to look at what it means to be deeply rooted in the arts at Episcopal. None of us works in a silo. All of us are continuing strong programs built by those who have gone before us. We are truly rooted in the creative ground that Episcopal has nurtured through the years, allowing all of our students to grow into the artists and people that they are becoming.
It is in the spirit of this theme that we will produce the fall production Into the Woods, a musical by composer Stephen Sondheim who truly laid the groundwork for decades of musical theatre. The show also explores the themes of communal responsibility and our need for interconnected and authentic relationships. We will present our annual dance concert, Overflow, exploring this through dance and movement that will remind us to be overflowing with thankfulness. We will also see threads of this theme through the Middle School play, Alice in Wonderland, as Alice finds herself uprooted from her daily life and connecting with strangers who remind her of her purpose. We will also see the theme play out in concert music and visual arts pieces that focus on growth and gratitude.
We invite you into this theme with us. We are deeply rooted in Christ and deeply committed to growth as artists and educators. We cannot help but overflow with gratitude for this school that provides fertile soil for our endeavors and for these students who every day remind us of what heights can be reached when we are connected, supported, and given room to grow.
Original source can be found here.
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