So, you have been told to believe in something your whole life and suddenly you grow up and realise you don’t. Now you’re stuck between the ideas you have known for your whole life and the realisation that your personal values are shifting away from it.
What if I told you that you are not alone in this and that many people go through the same thing?

On Being Spiritual but not Religious
The concept of being spiritual but not religious is one that moves away from conforming to traditional religion. Though the term spiritual may be very broad, often the focus is on concepts of finding your place in the world, the human experience and connecting with nature.
Generally, people conform to this identity because it lets you move away from traditional religion and ensures you aren’t recognised by any faith, which is a big motivator for a lot of people, whilst also being able to carry some of the religious ideals from their pasts.
As with everything, there are some criticisms. Picking and choosing pieces of religion or established ideas can be regarded as too casual or shallow, not to mention it may be offensive to some. Taking this concept with a grain of salt is necessary, especially considering the fact that people who are able to take on these views may be more privileged than others.

Oh, Holy – An Inspired Event
Although this concept formed the basis for our event, Oh, Holy became different to what we anticipated.
Exploring this concept through the medium of film allows for a range of perspectives to be seen. Not all the films included in this programme come from a place of spirituality. Some urge you to let go of any preconceived notions you may have, whilst others focus on our interpersonal relationships that ultimately provide us happiness. Although being spiritual but not religious seems to be the option that lets you choose freely, it still feels like there is a lot of baggage around the concept. Rather than boxing ourselves in the rigid limitations of being only religious or only spiritual, is it not better to find joy in our own created spaces?
We found through the development of our programme that if we strictly curate films from the concept of being spiritual, we contribute to the same issues, just from the other side. The original intention for this event was always to provide comfort in some way and to bring attention to all these complex feelings. Our final aim is to provide a middle ground. In this space, you get to believe or not believe whatever you want, and most importantly you are introduced to what others do.
No matter how intense these experiences sound and seem, let’s take comfort in the fact that we are not alone in this. After all, no matter what the connotations, there’s even a name dedicated to this experience.