Children in Leeds have written and starred in their very own nativity film, which, in a contemporary twist, features the Jeremy Kyle show and Mary being glued to her iPad.
It was the idea of the Revd Viv Masters, Curate at Kippax, Allerton Bywater and Swillington. She says, “I wanted to help the people in the parish understand the Christmas story in a way that they could relate to, and as few children come to our usual services, I decided we had to go out to them. By getting the children involved in making this film, I hope their family, friends and neighbours will want to come and see their children ‘on the big screen’.”
The film will be shown in sections during the Christmas service this Sunday at St Mary’s Kippax (4pm).
Children from three local primary schools and two Brownie Packs took part. Each group was given a bible passage and they then wrote their own scripts. They contain some modern-day interpretations of the Christmas story: in Kippax North Primary school, Joseph confronts Mary's truthfulness on a Jeremy Kyle style show, and in Allerton Bywater Brownies’ film, the angel Gabriel comes on a scooter to see Mary who is rather distracted by her iPad.
The scenes were filmed by Viv Masters, her colleague the Revd Heather Jamieson, and two computer students, Sam Hudson and Aiden Holmes.
Viv adds, “It’s been a lot of fun and a great way to be out in the community. I’m now just hoping for a packed house on Sunday!”