Forest of Bowland to pioneer £2 million community arts project

The Forest of Bowland National Landscape is to become a major hub in a ground-breaking national £2 million art project: Nature Calling.

Working with writer, rapper and performer OneDa, and artist Rob St John, the Forest of Bowland National Landscape team will creatively engage with young people from Burnley and Nelson to collaborate, explore, and connect with nature.

In the Forest of Bowland National Landscape, the artists will work with communities from Burnley and Nelson, offering young people in particular an opportunity to explore and be inspired by this outstanding countryside on the doorstep. The National Landscape team will work through Blaze Arts and Lancaster Arts to reach new audiences and to ensure we produce high quality ambitious art, inspired by and placed in the beautiful Bowland environment.

Nature Calling is a first for National Landscapes because of its size, scope and the level of investment. It aims to inspire communities across England to connect with National Landscapes, increasing their access to nature, improving their wellbeing and inspiring a sense of belonging in these special places.

Rob St John is a Lancashire-based artist and writer who focuses on the blurrings of nature and culture in contemporary landscapes. He works across sound, moving image, text and installation. His work has been shown and heard at Tate Modern, Victoria and Albert Museum, The Barbican, The British Museum and many others.

“Are You Lost?” will be a series of film, sound and textile installations across Bowland which highlight the diverse voices and perspectives of the communities that live around the area. A festival series of temporary installations will be created across the National Landscape, both in accessible public spaces and in more remote, largely-unused spaces in 2025.

Manchester-based rapper OneDa is a force of nature who refuses to be pigeon-holed. As well as a performer in her own right, OneDa has received acclaim for mentoring dozens of young people and creating openings in the music industry for them. OneDa’s self-produced debut album, ‘Formula OneDa’, is released later this year on Heavenly Recordings.

OneDa said: “When I saw Nature Calling advertised I leapt at the chance to be directly inspired by a natural environment that has depths of beauty to explore. An earlier trip to Greenland took me to a place where the natural beauty was overwhelming yet so inspiring. I aim to combine my passion, talent and my creative outlook to explore the Forest of Bowland in a new way.”

Nature Calling will bring together the 34 National Landscapes in England, local arts organisations and community groups from within a 30-minute journey time of their nearby National Landscape. They will work together to co-create artworks inspired by these iconic places and the results will then be shared with the public in a Season of Art from May – October 2025. It is expected that 70,000 people will take part nationally.

Nature Calling is a partnership project between the National Landscapes Association, Activate Performing Arts, Poetry School and six National Landscapes that will operate as key hubs of activity. To get find out more and ways to get involved visit www.naturecalling.org.uk

Posted
10th September 2024
in News