CompassionArt, Delirious – A Movement

What is CompassionArt?

If you don’t yet know about CompassionArt it’s time to get familiar. This movement has such radical potential for the Kingdom of God. Martin Smith, front man for the epic band Delirious and his wife, Anna, are following the next dream God has put in their hearts for this next season of their lives. Delirious will come to a closing chapter in the very near future from what we can tell.

I, personally, believe that God has been sort of priming the pump for what this movement could do to meet the needs of those that are less fortunate. Those being traded out in the sex slave, those without food and water, those without a mother or father, the oppressed and those who don’t yet have the hope in the liberating power of our ressurected Jesus! This is a movement that’s after the heart of God and I pray that it sweeps the world with crazy success.

Try and get throught his vision and look at the people that are involved in this project. Some of the Christian music worlds most talented and prophetic songwriters/worship leaders and hearts! The below is from the CompassionArt Website under their vision piece.

So what is CompassionArt?!

You want the short answer? Here it goes;

CompassionArt is a charity that joins the dots between art and poverty. It raises money to help breathe life into the poorest communities, restoring hope and igniting justice.

You’ve got a bit more time? Try this;

It all started with a sense that music really ought to be able to sit well with justice. Yet in a world of album sales and royalty cheques, it can be hard to see how the two link up. So, a plan evolved; create a little music (and eventually, quite a bit more) and use all of the money from those album sales and royalty cheques to support those working among the world’s poorest communities.

These thoughts came first to the heads and hearts of Martin and Anna Smith. Martin’s years at the front of the stage with Delirious have given him a unique perspective; across every continent he has seen at first hand the potential that music has to connect. And he has seen poverty – the crushing sort, the type that chokes hope and suffocates life. And he has seen remarkable people doing remarkable things to break poverty’s hold.

In January 2008 – after a year and a half of planning – Martin and Anna were joined by 11 other songwriters for the first CompassionArt retreat. Next to a Scottish Loch a few hours north of Glasgow were these dozen writers who between them had written pretty much every song the church has been singing over the last decade.

A week later and the group emerged with a whole load of new songs that are bound to provide the soundtrack for the coming years; songs that answered the question ‘what’s faith got to do with poverty?’

Four weeks later and the writers were gathered in Abbey Road to record the best fifteen tracks from the retreat.

Five days later and they had the bones of an album.

In the months that followed Martin and fellow producers Les Moir and Matt Bronleewe added the flesh, drawing in yet more artists from the world of Christian music.

And as the music took shape so too did the plot; each of the twelve writers nominated a charity to which 1/24^th of CompassionArt royalties will go to. The remaining 50 per cent of the funds raised will be distributed among projects that CompassionArt wants to give extra support – such as the Watoto community in Uganda. There, orphaned children are given food, shelter, education and a loving, caring home as they rebuild their lives. CompassionArt will provide funding for a series of music and arts centres that support the world-famous Watoto Children’s Choir, as well as offering essential training for those wanting to pursue a future in the arts.

Today – a few months before the release of the first CompassionArt album – there is anticipation draped all over the project. The involvement of the twelve writers; Michael W Smith, Israel Houghton, Darlene Zschech, Matt Redman, Tim Hughes, Stu G, Chris Tomlin, Graham Kendrick, Stephen Curtis Chapman, Andy Park and Paul Baloche didn’t just guarantee plenty of exposure. Their skills have combined to make an album that pushes, inspires and challenges in all the right places.

The story has covered so many pages already, yet in many ways it has yet to really begin. This first album – as well as the book that partners it – will generate income for years to come, giving compassion and art a more meaningful way of working together.