Founded in Spring 2012 by Thomas James and Clare Acheson, Strange Sermons is an alternative space for discussion and critique outside of formal institutions, academic programmes and routine digital outlets.

Borne out of a desire for a platform for reflection upon the issues that surround contemporary visual culture and harnessing several forms of media including printed matter, an online presence and public sermons, the initiative aims to explore a wide variety of topics that affect today’s visual landscape.

Encouraging transgression, opinion and defiance of the norm, Strange Sermons scrutinises the contextual, socio-cultural and philosophical impact of visual culture on our daily lives. By breaking down boundaries that typically confine the topics surrounding visual culture, Strange Sermons explores the fundamental changes to our enterpretation of the world around us as influenced by what we see on a daily basis.

Strange Sermons centres around quarterly events at which a topical theme within the realm of visual culture is presented for discussion. Each sermon invites esteemed speakers to share their thoughts in a open forum, drawing upon their own experiences and interests.

The Strange Sermons website provides a platform for archiving written content, promoting considered and thought-provoking articles, interviews and artworks, the best of which are compiled as limited publications.

The encouragement of self-initiated critical thought is central to Strange Sermons. Working as a non-profit initiative, any profit gleaned from events and publications is to be reinvested into research projects that explore visual culture in the form of funding for texts and other research media. In addition, Strange Sermons acts as a peer hub, offering a platform for the introduction of new ideas and embryonic concepts to a like-minded community before embarking on extended research projects.