Discussion with the Chair of the Interfaith Contact Group, Reverend Anthea Ballam

Latest TV News Editor, Mark Walker, speaks to the Chair of the Interfaith Contact Group in Brighton and Hove, Reverend Anthea Ballam. At the beginning of the Lockdown the Interfaith Contact Group of Brighton and Hove IFCG) received two readings, Latest TV was told. One was discovered on-line by an Executive Member of the IFCG. It was Brother Richard Hendrick’s Lockdown poem, the other was a Prayer for the Coronavirus Crisis by Rabbi Elizabeth Tikvah Sarah of the Progressive Synagogue of Brighton and Hove. These two readings have since gone far and wide bringing comfort to people all over the world. Inspired by the reaction to these readings the IFCG began by issuing a weekly email service with between four and five poems, prayers and readings from a variety of sources entitled Words of Connection, and set up a Words of Connection Blog, on its website. As requests for the weekly email and followers of the blog increased exponentially, the IFCG decided to produce a documentary film. The film entitled ‘Light in the Lockdown’ reveals the impact of work carried out by faith groups in our City, feeding and nurturing people in the community during the pandemic. Faith leaders and helpers from a wide variety of faith groups and non-faith group speak about how and why they chose to help. The role of Words of Connection is also placed in context.