Moving Pictures: Reusing Cinemas as Places of Worship in the Diaspora examines how migrant faith communities across England adapt former cinemas into active places of worship. Shaped by ritual, spatial adaptation, and everyday practice, these transformations constitute a form of living heritage often overlooked within mainstream heritage frameworks. Using the site-integrity methodology, the project develops collaborative, site-specific film installations to document this heritage from an emic perspective, reframing British heritage as dynamic, plural, and continually evolving. The research investigates how collaborative filmmaking can evidence living heritage, position faith communities as co-authors, and inform more inclusive heritage practice.
A residency at the Nanaksar Gurdwara Gursikh Temple in Coventry (former Redesdale Cinema) explores how Sikh devotional practice enacts living heritage through Paath and Shabad Kirtan—the recitation and singing of verses from the Guru Granth Sahib—and through the coordinated rhythms of the sangat (congregation). Filming is negotiated in situ: duration, scale, and camera movement follow the rhythms of prayer. A custom filming and projection device records the Pooranmashi (full moon celebration) from above the sangat. This elevated viewpoint is not imposed but is collectively agreed and carefully choreographed through local religious customs and congregational consent. From this position, the film reveals patterns of unison formed through shared belief: the cadence of kirtan, the coordinated movement of bodies, and the brief arc of flowers filling the air. At the same time, the architecture of the former cinema remains active, continuing to shape how worship unfolds. In accordance with Sikh practice, the system avoids any direct representation of the Guru, attending instead to the congregation, musicians, offerings, and the spatial setting. Ethical considerations are built directly into the mechanics of the device. The method of capture becomes an expression of the site's spiritual order rather than a detached mode of observation.
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Presented as part of the Coventry Biennial of Contemporary Art, the installation functions as both a research environment and a public forum. The same device used to film also projects the work back into the temple, preserving scale, duration, and spatial relationships so that image, sound, and architecture resonate together. Rather than a conventional screening, the installation operates as a performative research encounter, supporting collective reflection on how sacred space is continually made through repetition, listening, and shared presence. The event opens the temple to local residents and first-time visitors. Screenings are followed by discussion with congregation members and conclude with langar (the shared community meal), positioning the community as hosts and knowledge holders. In this way, the project demonstrates how site-based installations can foster inclusive dialogue while enabling community-led interpretations of heritage.
