The author of this article in the latest edition of "Forward Plus" is a member of St Mary & St Giles, Stony Stratford.
Young Christians do not have an easy time in the increasingly secular world and need to show great courage in the pursuance of their faith. They deserve our admiration support and prayers. Felicity Salter is a student brought up in a practicing Christian family which has attends church together regularly and takes a full part in the parish activities. She writes:
I began university with aspirations of becoming a professional actress. Throughout my three years of study I have had many influences that have changed my choice of career, but one that has affected me most prominently is my faith. As a Christian I have been challenged far beyond my initial expectations of university. During my degree, in Performing Arts, I have faced a number of compromising situations which have changed my view of acting. In particular, I was expected to perform in a play which I found very offensive, both against my faith and my personal comfort zone.
This included scenes of nudity, blasphemy and general offensive language. I did not want to perform in it and had several meetings with my lecturer, as this was part of one of my modules. I don’t think I realized how strong
my beliefs were until this point, because I’d never been in a confrontational situation about them. I was very upset and worried at the time because I didn’t want my grades to suffer, but on the other hand I was definitely not prepared to be part of something I didn’t agree with. Unfortunately the play still went ahead, but luckily, after much deliberation, I was permitted to perform in a piece, with my friend, which consequently I achieved a ‘first’ in for my acting.
Although it wasn’t pleasant disagreeing with the staff and other students, I have become much more confident in expressing myself and standing up for what I believe in. I learnt a lot from this experience, and in my final year I was asked again to be involved in a few scenes which I felt dealt with issues in an unnecessary manner. I had to withdraw from these plays and find a character that I felt did not jeopardise my morals as a Christian.
I have been strengthened by my experiences at university and understand that it would be very hard to avoid performing in plays I didn’t agree with if acting was my sole employment. I have fortunately found new skills and interest in directing and teaching performing arts, which I would like to pursue upon graduation, and use my skills in acting to complement these careers.
I began university with aspirations of becoming a professional actress. Throughout my three years of study I have had many influences that have changed my choice of career, but one that has affected me most prominently is my faith. As a Christian I have been challenged far beyond my initial expectations of university. During my degree, in Performing Arts, I have faced a number of compromising situations which have changed my view of acting. In particular, I was expected to perform in a play which I found very offensive, both against my faith and my personal comfort zone.
This included scenes of nudity, blasphemy and general offensive language. I did not want to perform in it and had several meetings with my lecturer, as this was part of one of my modules. I don’t think I realized how strong
my beliefs were until this point, because I’d never been in a confrontational situation about them. I was very upset and worried at the time because I didn’t want my grades to suffer, but on the other hand I was definitely not prepared to be part of something I didn’t agree with. Unfortunately the play still went ahead, but luckily, after much deliberation, I was permitted to perform in a piece, with my friend, which consequently I achieved a ‘first’ in for my acting.
Although it wasn’t pleasant disagreeing with the staff and other students, I have become much more confident in expressing myself and standing up for what I believe in. I learnt a lot from this experience, and in my final year I was asked again to be involved in a few scenes which I felt dealt with issues in an unnecessary manner. I had to withdraw from these plays and find a character that I felt did not jeopardise my morals as a Christian.
I have been strengthened by my experiences at university and understand that it would be very hard to avoid performing in plays I didn’t agree with if acting was my sole employment. I have fortunately found new skills and interest in directing and teaching performing arts, which I would like to pursue upon graduation, and use my skills in acting to complement these careers.
Felicity Salter
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