New Slow Ways blog on neuro rehabilitation
Read on the Slow Ways website: Walking artist ‘living with a bowl of lava in my brain’ learns to walk again at 34
22nd June 2023: Norfolk Arts Award and Make A Difference Awards
As we move through midsummer at the Summer Solstice, I’ve had some very welcome and humbling news. I’ve been nominated and shortlisted for two local awards!
The first is the Norfolk Arts Award, an annual celebration of arts and culture from around the county. I’ve been nominated for the Lifetime Achievement Award, in association with the Eastern Daily Press. This award is to celebrate a body of work of an individual who has dedicated their career to the arts in Norfolk. I’m sure I’m far too young to be recognised in this way, but I really value the appreciation from my peers
Earlier this week, on BBC Radio Norfolk, it was announced that I’ve been shortlisted for the BBC Radio Norfolk’s Making A Difference Awards. In the Green category, my nominator said that I’m “an inspiring woman who has created countless gatherings bringing people together to connect with the coast, raise awareness of environmental issues and empower people in their own wellbeing, whilst making a positive impact to their community”. I’m really proud that my work at Under Open Sky is starting to generate positive ripple effects locally
I’m very flattered by the recognition for my community engagement work and looking forward to both ceremonies later this year!
7th June 2023: Slow Ways – Hiking alone to one of Britain’s least-used stations
As part of my quarterly commission to create a Slow Ways story, I chose to walk from Great Yarmouth into the marsh and wetlands of Breydon Water. As part of my story, I created some artwork inspired by the experience after the walk
The full article, including the artwork, can be seen on the Slow Ways website
“I cut out silhouette shapes of me, photographed on the walk, to expose on the papers over three days. Due to the variable and experimental nature of the process, the red poppy turned purple, from the buttercup and lichen a curved watermark has appeared, and the figure in the fennel is barely there: my silhouette has fully assimilated into the plantscape!
Whilst waiting for the Anthotype prints to sun themselves, I played with my gelli plate, to create some small postcards celebrating the Spring abundance and sweeping lines in the landscape. Eventually, my Anthotypes will fade away, as a non-fixed photographic process, but for a long time I’ll remember the abundant mayflower blossoms and vast skies at Breydon Water.”
13th February 2023: Window exhibition in Sea Palling, Norfolk
With thanks to support from curator Alison Holden-Standley, a selection of my recent artwork is on display at Beach Road, Sea Palling, North Norfolk. The venue is next to the Beach Rock Bistro, whilst the beach shop is closed during the off season. The window display of my work will be shown during the February half-term, from Saturday 18th February. The artworks include my ongoing Earth Light Paintings series. These have been created using local river, cliff and sea foraged materials, with photographic processes, to explore coastal climate change. In one of the windows is also the plant-dyed textile banner I worked on, partly, at The Yare Gallery in Great Yarmouth last year. This was created between Autumn Equinox 2021 to 2022, using locally foraged and grown plants and sunlight to dye
31st January 2023: Slow Ways – Stitches in the water
This year, I’ve been commissioned by Slow Ways to create walking stories. Slow Ways is creating a network of walking routes across the UK and asking people to walk, review and engage with the paths across the UK. For my first story Stiches in the water, I wanted to mark the 70th anniversary of the Great North Sea Flood in 1953 in January 2023. I’ve been exploring this theme through my work at Under Open Sky recently, and I felt drawn to see where the route took me
After taking the 7 mile route at the end of January, I spent sometime exploring what sights and sensations visually. I created a triptych of photographic painting, which will form part of my Earth Light Paintings series, created using collected cliff sand. I’m grateful to the Slow Ways for gifting me this time to walk, reflect and create
Hopton-on-Sea was living up to its name; the seawards edge felt sharp and stark. The coastal defences looked like stitches in the water. Much of this part of the route was unreachable, so I followed the redirected signs inland pointing to the ‘Alternative Coast Path’, through the caravans and fields. As I moved away from the sea, the sounds changed. The whooshing of the wind and sea was replaced by speeding cars and vans on the A47 across the ploughed land. I was unsure, again, what the next turn would be.
Unsure whether if or when I revisited this path again, would it exist? How far inland will the path travel on its Alternative Route? Or will we need to adapt further, beyond retreating and defending, like the Moken people of East Asia? These communities have learned to travel further into deeper waters for safety when the seas rise, like the dolphins do, as they have kept alive their water wisdom.
Read the full story on the Slow Ways website
3rd January 2023: New year
It’s been a dull rainy start to the New Year here, whilst Europe is experiencing extreme heat for the Winter season and parts of America are under a big freeze. It’s my first day back at my desk and it felt important to take a walk – in the rain and wind! – to see the sea
I live less than half a mile from the tidal River Yare, which enters from the North Sea just metres away, so enjoying ‘blue space’ is fairly accessible to me. I tend to see the sea most weeks usually, most often for work purposes (such as leading workshops or walks) and sometimes for my own pleasure. Today, my visit was timed with a short circular route via the Post Office to run some New Year errands, along the River Yare to the Gorleston breakwater, and back. I don’t do New Year’s Resolutions as such, but I do make a conscious effort to reflect back on the year as it ends, considering what worked and what didn’t, and what I’d like more or less of in the coming year. My 2022 reflections included thoughts about wanting more space and down-time, and wanting to continue to deepen into my ‘blue space’ engagement work, so taking a walk on this blustery January morning seemed to fulfil these desires!
This year is National Year of the Coast, which marks the creation of the new England Coast Path. The aim of this initiative is to promote the coast as a sustainable year-round destination, to raise awareness of issues impacting coastal communities and businesses, and to showcase new developments and products. At Under Open Sky, we will – of course – be leading a range of coastal engagement activities with local Norfolk/Suffolk communities to deepen our connection to our sea and learn more about marine and coastal ecosystems. It’s been amazing to instigate and lead on the first year of our activity, and I’m excited to see how we grow and evolve in 2023
Through Under Open Sky, my project proposal ‘The Sea and Me’ has been shortlisted as a Centre for Cultural Value project this year. As part of the Collaborate fund, we’ll be matched up with an academic research partner to lead research around what it means to exist ‘on the (coastal) edge’ through arts-based methods
I’m particularly interested in how the seascape shapes our collective identities and the impacts on our health, especially in the context of the Norfolk coast being one of the fastest eroding in Europe and UK seaside towns tending to experience high levels of depravation and social challenges through under-investment. Academic partners can submit their expression of interest to working with us – and the other 9 shortlisted UK projects – between 5th January and 20th February. For more information on the programme and the shortlisted projects seeking partnership, visit the Centre for Cultural Value website
Later this month – again, through Under Open Sky – I’m going to be linking up with the Restoration Trust to work on some creative activities to explore the anniversary of the Great North Sea Flood. In 1953, our coastline experienced a devastating storm serge. I’ll be working with the group to co-curate an exhibition at Gorleston Library to commemorate the event and connect this experience with our changing coastal climate. On days like today, it’s easy to see how the seas energy can burst forth and rip through land communities, but equally, it’s hard to imagine the sheer trauma of the experience. I have, like many others, relatives who survived that night
Working in collaboration with the sea is complex, energising and humbling. I’m constantly impressed by the great power, to soothe and to agitate. I feel energised by the fact it’s the Year of the Coast this year, but however this year unfolds, and whatever our futures hold, I’m going to keep being curious about the sea and nurturing blue space connectedness
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