QR Stations

I thought I’d share a project I’m working on! (and explain why you can’t access certain parts of my blog)

What Is…?

Have you ever heard of stations of the cross – if not then have a look at Wiki here.

Have you ever heard of Geocaching – if not see here.

Have you ever heard of QR Codes – if not take a glance here.

So, I got to thinking, what would happen if you combined all three?

The (Digital) Stations of the Cross

The result is a Stations of The Cross, hidden in a city centre (Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent to be precise) that can only be accessed digitally.

This is how it works:

• around the city centre there are 14 QR Codes hidden.
• each QR Code leads to a password protected post on this blog. The password can be found with each QR code.
• each post has a picture (station of the cross), a short meditation and the co-ordinates of the next QR Code.
• The first blog page that introduces the idea will not be password protected but will have a QR code that will be made into postcards (left in shops with all the nightclub fliers etc.), put on church notices in the city and, hopefully, the local newspaper.
• the first blog post will be the beginning of the journey.
• people will be invited to journey through a physical/digital pilgrimage centred around the stations of the cross.
• Once you have found one, reflected on the station, you use the co-ordinates to find the next.
• you can do it in a day or a take a few months
• you can either use a smart phone or a good old fashioned map and compass!
• when you’ve found one you can leave a comment on the relevant station blog post!

The idea is that other artists will want to contribute to the art that is on each page (please get in touch if you would – I’ve already had a couple of interested folk) and that people can either use their smart phones or take pictures and use a QR Code Reader when they get home (and then go off to find another on another day).

Show me…

Here is one to get you started (don’t go looking for the next Station – it won’t be there till Friday!!) the password is #digidisciple

If you haven’t got a QR Reader you can search for one on the apps of your smart phone or download a desktop reader here

The co-ordinates of the next one are only as a guide at the moment. hopefully this will be set up very soon. So if you come across a blog post of mine that is password protected  – that is why! (no need for digiparanoia!!)

 

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A few more steps

Firstly, for those who have been trying to read my last blog post and couldn’t because you needed a password – don’t worry! I’m not barring you from the blog. I’m experimenting for a project I’m involved with and will post about it soon.

Now down to business.

As many of you know, I am now only part time with Venture FX (vfxhanley) and spend ½ my week in Birmingham teaching at Queen’s. By going part time I have been able to free up some financial resources which will help to develop the project further.

Which means (drum role) I am very excited to announce that I have a partner, a companion on The Way, who is employed to do one day a week with VFXhanley. His name is Ron Willoughby (@hoosier1964 if you follow him on twitter). I’ll leave Ron to introduce himself to you at a later date.

Ron has always been on the edges of this project and you will not believe how excited I am that he is now right at the heart of it. Ron has arrived just at the right time. Amongst other things we are developing a small community, a group of people who for one reason or another either don’t attend church, can’t attend a church or don’t want to attend a (particular) church! BUT … they are curious and sometimes compelled by this enigmatic 1^st century Jew known as Jesus of Nazareth. So we are going to get together and see what happens.

Exciting times!

This means that there are going to be a few changes – for a start this blog is going to be co-written. Ron will add his stuff and me mine. That means that, unlike the previous year, there will be less on my theological meanderings (I’ll set up another blog for that) and this will become, what in fairness, I originally intended it to be, a documenting of the vfxhanley story. It also means that the @vfxhanley twitter account will eventually become less of my personal stuff and more of a way of people connecting with the project. If it all gets a bit confusing I’m sorry!! It’s part of the growing pains of what is a growing and developing piece of work.

One final thing – there will be another 13 posts that will be password protected over the next month – don’t take it personally!!

Protected: Station 1: Jesus is condemned to death

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