BRITISH FESTIVAL OF MEDIUMSHIP

SNU Promotions & Publicity Presents
The British Festival of Mediumship

16th October 2010,

The Clarendon Suite, Hagley Road, Birmingham City Centre

With Mavis Pittilla, Paul Jacobs, Eric Hatton, Janet Parker, Su Wood, Libby Clark, Andy Byng, Chris Drew.

Challenging stereotypes. Celebrating difference. pushing boundaries:

The British Festival of Mediumship brings together up-and-coming and prolific International Mediums alike.

In a full day of Demonstrations of Mediumship, Tutorials and Private Sittings, this is a rare chance to see and experience many of the most highly regarded mediums, in one place, at one time...

Designed to open your mind to the subject of life-after-death, in an honest, open and sincere way, it aims to make you question the subject for yourself, without being persuasive or biased.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a complete sceptic, a believer or if you simply want to experience genuine mediumship. The eclectic and varied programme means that there is something for everyone.

WARWICK ROOM
10:15 am: Demonstration of Mediumship
Demonstrators: Janet Parker
Chairperson: Chris Drew

11:45 am: Tutorial - Demonstrating Mediumship
Speaker: Paul Jacobs

1:15 pm: Tutorial - TBA
Speaker: Mavis Pittilla
Chairperson Paul Jacobs

2:45 pm: Demonstration of Psychic Art
Demonstrators: Su Wood, Paul Jacobs
Chairperson: Andy Byng

4:15 pm: Demonstration of Mediumship
Demonstrators: Mavis Pittilla, Libby Clark
Chairperson: Dame Jean Else

CLARENDON ROOM
10:00 am: Lecture - This is Spiritualism
Speaker: Eric Hatton
Chairperson: Julia Almond

11:30 am: Demonstration of Mediumship
Demonstrators: Andy Byng, Chris Drew
Chairperson: Eric Hatton

1:00 pm: Tutorial - Psychic or Medium!
Speaker: Janet Parker
Chairperson: Julia Almond

2:30 pm: Demonstration of Trance Mediumship
Demonstrator: Libby Clark
Chairperson: Eric Hatton

4:00 pm: Tutorial - Understanding and Working
with Clairvoyance
Speaker: Paul Jacobs
Chairperson: Julia Almond


“...Spiritualists will not turn out for a meeting unless there are at least three mediums demonstrating!”

This looks great. But without Psychic News, how many will hear about it?

Now, regarding the quote above, “...Spiritualists will not turn out for a meeting unless there are at least three mediums demonstrating!”. It was a casual remark I made to Leslie Price some months ago, and he referred to it the other day on the Paranormal Review website. Here's how it came about:

I saw an announcement of a church's AGM, giving the time and date - plus the fact that three mediums would be present - just to chivvy the members into attending! Having spent 13 years of Spiritualist inactivity, due to some personal circs, I have been hit by some profound changes, which all you will have experienced in small annual increments (or decrements) and probably not noticed. I always said that we were overdependent on mediumship and seemed to be being stuffed to the gills with it - no objection if it were of high standard, but very little of it is - but the increase in the message culture, over those years, seemed to be summed up by this AGM accouncement.

But is the message culture creating real Spiritualists at all - or just message junkies? It's a serious question.

Geoff Griffiths wrote:This looks great. But without Psychic News, how many will hear about it?

Now, regarding the quote above, “...Spiritualists will not turn out for a meeting unless there are at least three mediums demonstrating!”. It was a casual remark I made to Leslie Price some months ago, and he referred to it the other day on the Paranormal Review website. Here's how it came about:

I saw an announcement of a church's AGM, giving the time and date - plus the fact that three mediums would be present - just to chivvy the members into attending! Having spent 13 years of Spiritualist inactivity, due to some personal circs, I have been hit by some profound changes, which all you will have experienced in small annual increments (or decrements) and probably not noticed. I always said that we were overdependent on mediumship and seemed to be being stuffed to the gills with it - no objection if it were of high standard, but very little of it is - but the increase in the message culture, over those years, seemed to be summed up by this AGM accouncement.

But is the message culture creating real Spiritualists at all - or just message junkies? It's a serious question.

Indeed, Geoff, without Psychic News, how many will hear about this event?

Mind you, I am rather in sympathy with your position regarding the apparent overdependence on message giving - especially since the standard of mediumship often is so low that it is painful to watch. Even when the standard is of a better quality - I do often wonder what we think we are achieving when I notice that those present seem only interested in getting a message for their personal benefit - and on so many occasions there is little of philosophical value put forward to balance the message segment of the programme.

Over the 44 or 45 years of my involvement in Spiritualism I have seen many changes - some for the better, but many for the worse. The ever increasing focus of getting messages seems to be fundamentally undermining the deeper message of Spiritualism and I fear that ultimately the philosophy of Spiritualism will be lost entirely.

And, perhaps I am being tooooo cynical - but cannot help wondering whether this 'British Festival of Mediumship' put on by the SNU Promotions and Publicity department is intended to take the eye off what the SNU has been doing to Psychic News - and to offer some apparent 'alternative' to the Alexander event which was to take place but now wont because of the actions of the SNU.

zerdini wrote:Challenging stereotypes. Celebrating difference. pushing boundaries:

The British Festival of Mediumship brings together up-and-coming and prolific International Mediums alike.

I might also say I find the words above quite intriguing. I wonder in what way this event will be challenging stereotypes - and what stereotypes exactly will be challenged? As for "pushing the boundaries" - which boundaries would that be?

Most of all though I am fascinated by the use of the word "prolific" in relation to International Mediums. What do they mean? The word prolific - as far as I understand it and my dictionary suggests: "Producing (much) offspring; abundantly productive (of), abounding in.

I really cannot see how this word or its meaning relate to the work of so called International Mediums - which is, I must confess, a phrase or title so many mediums these days seem to want to place upon themselves just because they have managed to demonstrate their skills somewhere in the world other than their place of origin. I am afraid it always reads to me as ego aggrandisement to use this title.

I did not write those words - they were written by SNU Promotions. That is in their advertisement. I simply drew attention to it.

With Mavis Pittilla among the demonstrating mediums and Eric Hatton, a former President of the SNU, chairing the demonstrations it should be a good event.

I know you didn't write those words Zerdini - but when quoting the post that is the way it shows up because you posted the information.

But is the message culture creating real Spiritualists at all - or just message junkies? It's a serious question.

Sadly the majority who attend churches have little idea of Spiritualism Geoff and probably are only interested in the messages. It may be even worse here in oz especially when flower reading, with very little, if any, evidence of survival and everyone expects a message of some type. Those that come are there for the message fix on the whole.

By the way I admire the fact that Eric Hatton is doing this at all given the flack he has, I am sure, received over his defence of PN.

I take my hat off to his dedication and commitment.

It just shows what a true Spiritualist and gentleman he really is Jim