16th June 2021: Yarmouth Springs Eternal: The Summer Solstice Approaches…

 | SUPPORTING YOUR ART

Fig, and other plants, growing around a drainpipe (image credit_Genevieve Rudd)

The Yarmouth Springs Eternal project centres on the celebration of everyday experiences of the natural world, from the overhanging garden hedges trailing blossom in the street to patches of greenery hidden down alleyways. We have been walking and exploring the streets of Great Yarmouth since April, noticing Spring unfold together, and discovering some surprising delights.

THE PUBLIC EVENTS PROGRAMME

Most recently, in our public programme that launched after our Conference in May, we have had a stimulating series of walks, workshops and events, and there is still more to come during our final Summer Solstice weekend!

Last week, Bill Vine led two sound walks exploring Great Yarmouth through meditative tuning in. We compared the jangled sounds of the amusements to the relatively calm swooshing of machinery from industrial units. The experience encouraged reflective thoughts how much our brain was filtering subconsciously and the heightened experience of close noticing.

Walking with Jacques Nimki (image credit_Genevieve Rudd)

During Jacques Nimki’s two walks, we discovered surprising plantlife, such as a miniature fig plant growing from a drainpipe, and a sweet smelling patch of Matricaria discoidea aka ‘pineappleweed’ growing behind some restaurant bins. It’s amazing how connecting closely with the senses can make and trigger memories, as Jacques’ said, “pineapples will no longer conjure up visions of tropical islands, but a car park in the back streets of Yarmouth for everyone that came along.”

On Saturday at our #MyJam Culture Sharing Lab event, organised by Jules Devonshire of orignalprojects;, we were joined by Sean Roy Parker aka Fermental Health alongside Holly Sandiford’s kimchi and kombucha photography and Tiah-Paige Burrell’s natural dye rune art. The event was a great success for its experimental sharing through tastings, demos, conversation and learning about the culture of cultured goods.

This week, I’m leading a cyanotype workshop, exploring a technique that kicked off the initial Yarmouth Springs Eternal community walks/workshops series back in April. We’ll be working on location around town and gathering found materials for our sunprints.

Sean Roy Parker aka Fermental Health giving a demo at #MyJam Culture Sharing Lab (image credit_Genevieve Rudd)

There is still time to see and experience the work of Bill Vine, Company Drinks, Jacques Nimki, James Aldridge and Jason Evans, plus Climate Museum UK, a plant and fermented goods swap/share table. The exhibition is open daily until Sunday 20th June from 12pm-5:30pm (closing at 4pm on Sunday) at PRIMEYARC, Market Gates Shopping Centre.

The overall ethos is about nurturing a personal connection to nature through sensory experiential experiences – walking, talking, sharing, touching, seeing, smelling and, with thanks to Company Drinks’ contribution to the exhibition, tasting some delicious community-made cordials on offer during the show!

To bring the project to a close, we are delighted that our exhibition artist Jason Evans will be hosting a weekend of Photowalks around Great Yarmouth. He’ll be sharing some of his own creative approaches to photography in these informal walks around town. The groups are small to encourage conversation and sharing, please book your place via Eventbrite:

SUMMER SOLSTICE PHOTOGRAPHY WALK WITH JASON EVANS

Flower Power, 2018 by Jason Evans and The Garden Gate Project

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.

Sat, 19 June
10:30 – 13:00 | Booking Link
15:00 – 17:30 | Booking Link

Sun, 20 June
10:30 – 13:00 | Booking Link
16:00 – 18:30 | Booking Link

THE YARMOUTH SPRINGS ETERNAL PLAY BOOK

And finally, to bring the creativity of the artists and participants from the initial April to May community walks/workshops programme back round again, we’ll be launching our Yarmouth Springs Eternal Play Book on the Summer Solstice weekend. It features creative arts and nature activities to do on a walk or at home from Georgie Manly, Ligia Macedo aka Gia, Mark Cator, Kaavous Clayton and me. These were the ideas we first explored together back in early Spring and encourage simple and playful ways to connect with the natural world found around town. It’ll be available in print and online.

The activities, events, artist commissions and behind the scenes work for Yarmouth Springs Eternal has been led by me, Genevieve Rudd, in partnership with originalprojects;. The marketing and print has been supported by Norwici Print, Red Herring Press and Supporting Your Art. Supported with funding from Norfolk & Norwich Festival, Arts Council England, East Anglia Art Fund, Norfolk County Council and Better Together Norfolk