Abbot Christopher

In 2003 Abbot Christopher proved the unexpected; that a monk can become a celebrity, by being the face and driving force behind the BBC two documentary ‘The Monastery’ and ‘The Monastery Revisited’. He is a man who always seems to be up to the new or unexpected. As Abbot of the Benedictine Worth Abbey in Sussex he is the bestselling author of ‘Finding Sanctuary and ‘Finding Happiness’; as well as advising the FSA on the moral obligation for banking regulation, he also lectures on the spiritual aspect of climate change. And of course he finds the time to come and talk to us at Brightlights. This year Abbot Christopher speaks from a monastic viewpoint about the life and martyrdom of England’s first saint.

Fr. Stephan Wang

As Dean of the seminary Allen Hall in London, Fr Stephen is responsible for the education of priests to be. There he lectures on philosophy and theology but do not worry, he regularly comes down to Earth as the author of the popular and eclectic blog, ‘Bridges and Tangents’. A keen commentator Fr Stephen has talked on radio 4 and regularly uses the internet to expound his views. Check out his blog for a taster of his unique take on the world. An incredibly intelligent man and speaker this year he will be at Brightlights talking on what made St Alban tick and the decisions he made in his life.

Sr. Judith Russi

If you think you know what a nun is like, think again and come and see Sr Judith talk at Brightlights. Sr Judith has spent her religious life working in education, schools and with young people. Yes, she has written books and advised very important people on very important things but most importantly she is a truly inspirational talker, and boy does she talk. A regular at Brightlights she always comes with her own special brand of humour and with something different to say. This year is no exception and she will be present and talking to us about St Alban’s relevance to us as young people in the modern world, even after 2000 years.

RISE theatre

RISE theatre are joining us once again for a ground breaking festival where they will perform a play written exclusivly for the festival exploring the life of St. Alban.  This will be performed in 4 acts over the weekend - make sure you come and catch all 4 parts.  We promise a good show!

More speakers and workshops to be announced soon!