Passion Trust
The Passion Trust is a registered charity that supports the resurgence of Passion Plays in the United Kingdom. Its avowed aim is to keep alive the story-telling heritage of dramatic re-enactments of the Easter story. Passion Plays take place in over 50 different locations in the UK, each adapted to the local community and the volunteers who perform and produce the plays. As reported in "Christianity Today", the purpose of Passion Plays is to bring the Gospel message to life within communities and trustees of the Passion Trust support these local communities in the UK. History . The Passion Trust was established in 2011 to support Passion Plays taking place in the UK, and acts as a centre for resourcing, financing and equipping community performances to keep the dramatic, story-telling heritage of religious drama alive for future generations. It also advocates for public drama through local and national media. The resurgence of Passion Plays in the UK led to the creation of the Passion Trust. Trustees and supporters of the Passion Trust have been involved in Passion Plays all over the world, from Australia to Cape Town, as well as Passion Plays performed by prisoners in  jails including Louisiana State Penitentiary (2012) where seventy-five inmates at Angola Prison and Louisiana Correctional Institution for Women (LCIW) came together to put on a performance of the Passion. The performance was the subject of a documentary that shows scenes from the daily lives of the inmates together with scenes from the play that is performed in the prison grounds. Other Passion Plays in prisons include those performed in HM Prison Greenock in Glasgow and jails in Milan and Brazil where Jesus was crucified on the prison bars. Activity. The Passion Trust hosts an annual conference attended by actors , arts practitioners, producers, directors, fundraisers and journalists. It also disseminates information for people starting new Passion Plays or wanting to develop existing plays, including script-writing, fund-raising, working with local councils and engaging with local communities. Keynote speakers at Passion Trust conferences: The Passion Trust also develops and disseminates important resources for people starting new Passion Plays or wanting to develop existing plays, including advice with script-writing, fund-raising, working with local councils and engaging with local communities. International Links. The Passion Trust connects UK Passion Plays with Europassion, a large European organisation that promotes Passion Plays in  Europe. Established in 1982, this umbrella organisation draws together Passion Play communities from countries all over Europe, some of which have been performing their plays for hundreds of years. Over 80 Passion groups from 16 countries are represented there. According to Mons. Fausto Panfili, the Chaplain of the Europassion: The experience of the Europassion constantly lets us experience a so far unexplored pathway, so that we can continue to grow. Surmounting a self-referred vision of our own experience obligates us to confront a regional, national, European and universal horizon. That is why a new vision, not fragmentary, is necessary . Unity doesn’t mean uniformity. A spiritual energy, stronger and more attentive to cultural elaboration, a more evident solidarity in order to be recognised as bearers of hope, to help the people and communities grow.