South

Peter Owen Jones has been a vicar in the Church of England for 15 years. He started out as a farm labourer and ran a mobile disco on the side then moved into advertising, before hearing the 'call' to become a vicar . 

Peter Owen Jones - a man on a mission

He believes that the Church of England is too much a faith of the head and not enough a faith of the soul.  

He has three parishes in the Sussex Downs and is happy with his rural ministry but he feels spirituality is almost absent.

More than music?

Reverend Owen Jones' aim is to find out whether the popularity of festivals is about more than just music… Is it something deeper?

Are festival goers actually looking for a spiritual experience, and a special sense of community?

One of the headline acts at Bestival are The Flaming Lips.

Wayne Coyne crowd surfs in a big plastic ball

They’ve been called America’s greatest rock band… but do they feel part of a powerful festival force ? 

Certainly not lead singer, Wayne Coyne, "It’s dumb rock music.

"You say it’s a spiritual thing, I suppose it can be, but I wouldn’t want people who aren’t at the festival to think ‘Ah well, if I don’t go to a rock festival then I can’t have any enlightenment."

Removed and unmoved

The Church of St Mary sits in the middle of the festival at Lulworth Castle.

For Peter Owen Jones it represents what’s wrong with the Church of England.

Despite having a special festival vicar -  it's basically standing removed and unmoved by what’s going on around it.

WI Tea Tent

Meanwhile, the Women’s Institute is embracing change and has a WI Tea Tent at Bestival.

Next to the action but not part of it?

So where does all this leave the church and its clergy like festival vicar Andy Barman?

"It needs a total repainting, total reimagining… and I think all that needs to happen withing the church family.

"The community is spiritual, is alive, is drawing together… Here, it’s like coming to another world."

And Peter Owen Jones conclusion about the festival and spirituality…

"What I’ve seen here is a positive community, in no mood to roll over and lose faith in human nature."