From September 2020 to March 2021, I worked remotely with GCSE Photography students at City Academy Norwich as part of my Associate Artist/Tutor work at the Sainsbury Centre
The ‘Locality’ project built upon the student’s Photography curriculum during Lockdown, whilst engaging in deeper exploration and connection with their surroundings and environments, at school or home. The theme of ‘Locality’ took on a greater resonance during this period of intermittent home schooling and ‘Stay at Home’ orders
It’s a great pleasure to show and celebrate the student’s achievements with a public exhibition from Friday 10th to Sunday 12th December, 10am-4pm, at the Sainsbury Centre, UEA, Norwich. There will also be a private view on Thursday 9th December, 5:30pm-6:30pm
Yarmouth Springs Eternal is up for the ‘Freelancing Project Award’ category of the IPSE Freelancer Awards! This feels like brilliant recognition for the project, which not only had significant community impact, but also highlights the expanded potential and momentum that freelance artists can make in their community when they collaborate together
I’ve been invited to give a short pitch on Zoom for the judging panellists to consider and the winners will be announced at an Awards Ceremony in London in October
These are some of the things I said about the project:
“Community participatory arts is an often overlooked area of the cultural sector, but often has the deepest impact. Yarmouth Springs Eternal – led in partnership with originalprojects; – recognised the anxiety, disconnection and inequality faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, and turned it into an uplifting, welcoming and joyful creative project that engaged local people in their familiar environments
The project, led by arts freelancers, overall supported 15 self-employed cultural practitioners with paid opportunities to make the project to happen. This included leading creative activities, producing events and marketing”
Thank you to all the generous and creative practitioners who helped the Yarmouth Springs Eternal project to bloom in 2021. The seed has already been planted for a second year to grow again in Spring 2022, and this shortlist acts as an extra ray of sunlight to nurture its potential
As Spring has now given way to Summer, the Yarmouth Springs Eternal project has come to a close. For the past year or so, it has been my focus and motivation, and has grown greatly from the time, care and input from our partners, artists, participants and audience. It’s sad to end but I’m delighted with the positive response and generosity of the people who brought the project to life
Hidden nature
Yarmouth Springs Eternal is a community arts, walking and nature project. We spent the Spring season walking around Great Yarmouth, taking notice, slowing down, talking and sharing together. The project shone a light – even when the sun didn’t shine! – on the abundance of resilient and persistent life that has pushed its way through the cracks of the town. Walking together reminded us of other things; we exchanged our ‘knowledge’, not just fact-swapping (although plant IDing can be fun too!) but the sharing of lived knowledge through childhood stories, games, folklore and colloquial words for places and plants that really resonated
The fact that this project evolved from the seed of an idea nurtured in 2020, during Lockdown, is no coincidence. After (or rather, still during) an on-going period of disconnection and disruption, ‘an opportunity to socialise’ was the one of the main outcomes, so far, people have said they gained from engaging in the public programme. Our community group also said that the conversations we had as a group made the ideas and places come to life in a rich way
As well as connecting socially, our audience and participants have said that finding creative ways to connect with nature, being introduced to a new artist’s work, and learning new creative skills were the next top outcomes of engaging in the programme.
We’re still collecting thoughts, comments and reflections from the people who attended the exhibitions and public events over on our survey. Since the survey has been open for submissions, our audience have said:
Photowalks with Jason Evans (image credit_Jonathan P Watts)
“[The exhibition] helped me notice finer details, to really look more closely to nature, particularly at the hidden plants amongst the exhibits, which correlate to the hidden beauties amongst nature”
“It was a great way to re-engage with local people & places after a period of confinement & isolation (Lockdown)”
“A credit to Great Yarmouth”
“All the artists were very approachable and friendly. Sometimes art can seem inaccessible to the lay-person but the format made it more accessible to me as a non-artist”
“I loved how all of the events were free, so they were much more accessible to lower income families/people like myself”
It was important that the project provided paid opportunities for artists and arts practitioners too, in the context of significant financial insecurity as a result of COVID-19. With thanks to funding support, 15 artists or arts practitioners were support through this project with paid commissions to lead sessions, exhibit their work or support with the running of the project, such as marketing
Whilst the project has ended, the main legacy is definitely many happy memories! I hope that there will be support for the project to run again, informed by the feedback from our community and public programme participants. We met with the community group on the last weekend of the exhibition to share the highlights, reflections and areas for development, and I’d also like to encourage anyone who attended the public events or exhibition in May to June to please fill out the feedback form. Your responses will help sow the seed for the next season of Yarmouth Springs Eternal
Thank you
The project was made possible with the support of 15 artists and arts practitioners and 5 funders. It’s hard to put into words how thankful I am for everyone’s input on the project, but I’ve had a go! Thank you:
Brilliant project partners, Jules and Kaavous of originalprojects;, who helped nurture the idea into reality and put in so much graft to make it happen!
Our wonderfully creative, honest and generous Yarmouth Springs Eternal community group for a memorable Spring. They didn’t just turn up, they got stuck in and shaped the programme, and made us all think! Supported with care by Moyses Gomes, our highly recommended and multi-talented project assistant
Our community programme artists who led us on Spring walks with their creativity and passion: Georgie Manly, Kaavous Clayton, Ligia Macedo, Lotte from Red Herring Press, and Mark Cator
The public programme artists whose installations enriched the project and the visitors experience with their imaginative approaches: Bill Vine, Company Drinks, Jacques Nimki, James Aldridge and Jason Evans, plus Climate Museum UK
Our amazing audience who supported the project, not just in presence, but by deeply engaging, questioning and evolving the ideas with their thoughtfulness
Rob from Norwici Print who beautifully designed and printed the Yarmouth Springs Eternal Play Book, a legacy document from the project, capturing the creativity explored in the early Spring community series in an easy-to-follow format
Becky Demmen from Supporting Your Art, who has been working in the background remotely throughout the project. She produced our incredible project video that ingeniously captured the essence of the project through sounds and images. And who ran the project social media excellently too
And finally, the project funders who made it happen with the all important cash backing: Norfolk & Norwich Festival Creative Individuals Norfolk (especially Ailsa McKay and Sally Rose), Arts Council National Lottery Project Grants, East Anglia Art Fund, Norfolk County Council Arts Project Fund, and Better Together Norfolk
The chalkboard at the entrance of the conference (Image credit_Becky Demmen)
On Saturday 22nd May we had our Conference and we thought this would be a great opportunity to look at how each part of our project has informed and enhanced the other.
The Walks -> The Exhibition -> Conference
As you have seen from our previous blogs about the project so far, the idea of connecting creativity and wellbeing has been a constant through-line. Alongside that, has also been the theme of noticing nature in less obvious places. This was first demonstrated through our initial Artist-led community walks programme.
Whether we were writing, drawing, or having a conversation, it was all about looking at our links with the landscape and appreciating what we have around us. These initial walks are reflected in the expanded exhibition event programme (details below). These upcoming public events encourage enjoying nature through different lenses and reacting creatively. And these events are led, just as our community walks were, by exciting Artists with a unique perspective on our project’s themes.
Nurturing connections
The project’s themes and ideas were also carried through to our conference and you could see this in the Artist/speakers who were involved, the displays and the conversations had on the day.
Jason Evans
Photographer Jason Evans spoke about working with the community-led The Garden Gate Project in Thanet in east Kent. He shared his approach to picture-making, building a tool shed darkroom, the joy of learning from working with neurodiverse creativity and working with photographer Brendan Barry.
James Aldridge
The Artist behind Queer River spoke about walks along rivers with others to create and document emergent responses in writing, making & drawing.
Bill Vine
He introduced his acousmatic composition designed for loudspeakers and not performance, his approach to the creation of northsong. Whilst sharing his practice of soundwalks, listening to environmental sounds, the sense of belonging, and the place and time it provides.
Jacques Nimki
How can you make images of what a garden might be without having a garden? Jaques Nimki described the moment he realised that it was always there, it’s about asking the right questions. Well expressed by his 56 elusive works installed around the exhibition space. (See if you can spot them all!)
Genevieve speaking during the Artist Q&A. (Image credit_Becky Demmen)
Those that came to the conference were then invited to ask these Artists along with Kaavous Clayton of originalprojects; and Genevieve about their work and approaches.
We then split into two breakout rooms.
One led by Genevieve looking at what Community arts and participatory engagement means in the current climate, and one with writer, professor and musician George McKay looking at Eco-politics. It felt wonderfully open and although no large conclusions were bought to the sharing session afterwards, there was certainly a lot of important and interesting ground covered.
The day ended with an invitation to share contact details with each other to perhaps continue this sharing and learning to give this space we created, room to grow.
The days work was well supported by the display from Company Drinks (and their delicious forages cordials which were available to rehydrate us all) and the information panels provided by Climate Museum UK that gave a wider context to our discussions.
And all of this happened with the backdrop of the artwork and pamphlet created by our community group during that initial walks programme. It was great to feel a connection to those walks throughout the conference day and in the exhibition itself. The sessions they enjoyed together fuel the thinking and sharing we can do now and the visual reminders of the work they did on display keep that connection present.
George McKay leading a discussion on Eco-politics (Image credit_Becky Demmen)
Genevieve Rudd offers a reflection on the day itself:
“It was a pleasure to hear how the artists each found a deeper connection to places and communities by adopting a slower way of noticing the natural world using multi-disciplinary creative perspectives. Thank you to everyone who was part of making the Conference day!”
Videos of all of the Artist Presentations will be released soon so keep an eye out if you want to watch those. If you want to read all of the live updates that were shared on twitter then head over to there. It’s a really interesting account of the day.
Tickets are still available for our walks but they are booking up fast so make sure you get yours soon!
SONIC LANDSCAPES WITH BILL VINE
Limited Tickets Available
Listen in closer to the sonic landscape of Great Yarmouth on a sound walk led by Bill Vine. The walks will allow time for both meditative listening and an opportunity to learn more about the local environment
An opportunity to join artist Jacques Nimki for a walk around Great Yarmouth town centre. Explore the urban landscape, through an interaction with plants that are often overlooked, inhabiting places that are usually neglected or unexplored
Wed, 9 June 2021 14:00 – 15:30| Booking link(open to general public) 16:00 – 17:30 |Booking linkLIMITED AVAILABILITY (open to educators working with Primary age children)
#MYJAM: CULTURE SHARING LAB
This inclusive introductory session is intended as open-source conversation-starter to identify and explore shared interests in the radical nature of fermentation, slow living, holistic health and resourcefulness
Genevieve Rudd invites you to discover the magic of Cyanotype ‘blueprint’ photography, based on drawings and found objects in outdoor locations around town
Wed, 16 June 2021
SUMMER SOLSTICE PHOTOGRAPHY WALK WITH JASON EVANS
These fun, informal sessions are designed to expand your experience of photography ideas and techniques, responding to project exhibition.
Walking and looking with a medium format film camera, participants will create a record of unexpected nature and organic surprises in Great Yarmouth over the Summer Solstice weekend.
Participants can bring their own photography kit (camera or camera phone). No previous experience is necessary to take part.
We’d like you to explore the spaces around you – your garden, the path outside your house or a local park – and gather together a small posie of flowers to be part of the exhibition.
Bring your posie to the exhibition. On arrival, you’ll be invited to write a short note about where you collected them. Then, place your arrangement in the dedicated display.
Remember to pick responsibly!
#MYJAM: CULTURE SHARING LAB
Do you grow edibles in your garden or allotment? Into jamming, preserving or lacto-fermenting? Avid about brewing or sourdough baking? Are you an expert home composter?
We’re inviting you to bring your knowledge, tips and tricks to share with others at #MyJam. Tell us about what your jam is on our form!
The Yarmouth Springs Eternal exhibition is now open! Our Yarmouth Springs Eternal community group came up with lots of creative ideas for Kaavous Clayton from originalprojects; (our project partner) to curate into an inspiring exhibition celebrating connecting with the natural world. Some of the group have also been putting in extra time in to support with the installing, painting and constructing in the venue to help the show come to life, which is hugely appreciated!
You can now visit the show at PRIMEYARC in Market Gates Shopping Centre, Great Yarmouth. It’s free to visit daily from Mondays-Saturday 12pm to 5:30pm and Sundays 12pm to 4pm up until Sunday 20th June. Please note: this Saturday 22nd May is only open to our Conference ticket holders, apologies for any inconvenience.
The show includes a sound piece by Bill Vine, originally commissioned by Norfolk & Norwich Festival’s Creative Individual Norfolk fund. You can also catch Bill and I, and the other NNF funding awardees, talking about our projects at the live streamed event on Thursday. Jacques Nimki invisible plant drawings are growing organically around the space to hunt and find like a nature walk. You can join both Bill and Jacques on a bookable walk around town in June, exploring local sound and plants respectively.
Company Drinks (image credit_Genevieve Rudd)
If all that walking has built up a thirst, Company Drinks have an honesty fridge of foraged community-made drinks from their East London based social enterprise. Great Yarmouth is a town surrounded by liquid of another kind – rivers, seas and broads – so it felt fitting to invite James Aldridge to showcase a piece from his Queer River project that explores the link between identity and blue spaces.
To close the show at the Summer Solstice weekend, Jason Evans will be hosting a series of Photowalks on Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th June, whilst displaying some facilitated photography in the exhibition from The Garden Gate Project in Margate.
Alongside these artists, you can find informative displays from Climate Museum UK, sharing the impacts of the climate crisis and what we can do to reverse the damage. There will be growing, living and evolving displays. Audiences are invited to bring along a small bunch of locally (and responsibly!) picked flowers, as part of the Theatre of Posies display. When you bring your posie along, you’ll be asked to pop them in a decorated jar of water and we’ll then arrange them in the space.
James Aldridge (image credit_Genevieve Rudd)
As well as things to see, there are also a series of arts & nature events coming up in June. You can find all of these events listed in our latest newsletter and below, along with how you can take part.
We hope to see you there!
Arts & Nature Events
Yarmouth Springs Eternal Conference
LIMITED AVAILABILITY
The Yarmouth Springs Eternal conference will explore relationships, perceptions and experiences of connecting with the natural world through the arts. It’ll feature presentations from the featured exhibition artists and a Q&A. During the conference, we’ll also explore establishing a network of artists working with nature and parts of the day will be live-streamed online.
Listen in closer to the sonic landscape of Great Yarmouth on a sound walk led by Bill Vine. The walks will allow time for both meditative listening and an opportunity to learn more about the local environment
An opportunity to join artist Jacques Nimki for a walk around Great Yarmouth town centre. Explore the urban landscape, through an interaction with plants that are often overlooked, inhabiting places that are usually neglected or unexplored
Wed, 9 June 2021 14:00 – 15:30| Booking link(open to general public) 16:00 – 17:30 |Booking linkLIMITED AVAILABILITY (open to educators working with Primary age children)
#MyJam: Culture Sharing Lab
This inclusive introductory session is intended as open-source conversation-starter to identify and explore shared interests in the radical nature of fermentation, slow living, holistic health and resourcefulness
Genevieve Rudd invites you to discover the magic of Cyanotype ‘blueprint’ photography, based on drawings and found objects in outdoor locations around town
Wed, 16 June 2021
Summer Solstice Photography Walk with Jason Evans
These fun, informal sessions are designed to expand your experience of photography ideas and techniques, responding to project exhibition.
Walking and looking with a medium format film camera, participants will create a record of unexpected nature and organic surprises in Great Yarmouth over the Summer Solstice weekend.
Participants can bring their own photography kit (camera or camera phone). No previous experience is necessary to take part.
We’d like you to explore the spaces around you – your garden, the path outside your house or a local park – and gather together a small posie of flowers to be part of the exhibition.
Bring your posie to the exhibition. On arrival, you’ll be invited to write a short note about where you collected them. Then, place your arrangement in the dedicated display.
Remember to pick responsibly!
#MyJam: Culture Sharing Lab
Do you grow edibles in your garden or allotment? Into jamming, preserving or lacto-fermenting? Avid about brewing or sourdough baking? Are you an expert home composter?
We’re inviting you to bring your knowledge, tips and tricks to share with others at #MyJam. Tell us about what your jam is on our form!
Yarmouth Springs Eternal community pamphlet made from a workshop with Red Herring Press (image credit_Genevieve Rudd)
Theatre of Posies (image credit_Genevieve Rudd)
Exhibition space cyanotype prints from a community walk_workshop with Genevieve Rudd, and Company Drinks (image credit_Genevieve Rudd)
All events are taking place at PRIMEYARC, Market Gates Shopping Centre, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, NR30 2BG and are planned to follow and adhere to COVID-19 guidelines. Information on accessibility guidance is available on the event links
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