This film looks at worship in the modern age in a cosmopolitan city – the practices and ceremonies of the major religions are studied here showing how these traditions are or are not affected by time, geography or social conditions.

An art student sits on the floor of the main arena of Leeds City Museum making notes on one of my exhibitions – Faith in the City – the huge screens you can see host a video piece I designed specifically for the centrepiece of the exhibition that reflects the seven documentaries on the interactive ‘pods’.

Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. The word is derived from the Old English worthscipe, meaning worthiness or worth-ship — to give, at its simplest, worth to something.

Evelyn Underhill (2001) defines worship thus: “The absolute acknowledgment of all that lies beyond us—the glory that fills heaven and earth. It is the response that conscious beings make to their Creator, to the Eternal Reality from which they came forth; to God, however they may think of Him or recognize Him, and whether He be realized through religion, through nature, through history, through science, art, or human life and character.”  Worship asserts the reality of its object and defines its meaning by reference to it. An act of worship may be performed individually, in an informal or formal group, or by a designated leader.

Faith In The City is a series of documentary films exploring the cultural landscape of Leeds through an in-depth exploration of religious practices and conventions. Featuring footage of religious ceremonies, festivals and celebrations, this series uses detailed and revealing interviews with religious leaders and practitioners combined with beautifully shot and edited footage to give a full and comprehensive representation of the cultural diversity that Leeds enjoys.