All Our Land

During 2022 I have had the pleasure of working as a visual artist with the All Our Land project. Throughout 2022 local young people have come together with artists and environmental scientists to respond creatively to the relationship between our local landscape and the impact of climate change.

We hope that the resulting ‘creative conversations’ will generate further important reflections, discussion and action

Participants have been drawn from local schools; from GCSE through to A levels. Also, university students from Leeds, The Hague, London and Carlisle (who had all returned to their homes in the Dales) and volunteers with the Wild Ingleborough Project, and the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA).

The workshops were held at Broadrake, which is nestled in the foothills of Whernside with long views toward Ingleborough and at Lower Winskill Farm, beautifully situated in high moorland above Langcliffe. Both of these settings have provided us with inspiring environments within which to walk and talk, reflect and learn and creatively respond.

Tom Lord who farms at Lower Winskill opened each of the 4 All Our Land sessions with fascinating walks and talks through the hay meadows focussing on his concerns relating to the climate crisis and how this has impacted his farming practices.

As artists we introduced a mix of methods and media for participants to choose from. All the resulting work was inspired by the landscape within which we worked, the insights and discussions generated by all contributors to the sessions, and the thoughts and concerns and questions that everyone individually brought to the day.

The All Our Land groups have been fully engaged throughout, responding with care and openness to all that was being considered. They have explored new methods of making, taken risks with ideas, spoken honestly, with questions, listened with attention and always with regard for each other.

Every artwork was discussed in the making and, as one participant said:

“Once you open your eyes to nature it really is a whole new world”.

For more information open the All Our Land catalogue which accompanied the exhibition.