Landscape and walking provide the catalyst for Walking the Land’s creative activities. Based in the Gloucestershire countryside, Walking the Land comprise three lead artists, Richard and Tom Keating and Kel Portman. Each share a love of the landscape and as painters, sculptors, photographers, videographers and educators they produce work which refers to specific places, localities and environments.

Formed 5 years ago, the Stroud-based arts co-operative have regularly produced and exhibited their own work that has been made around the Stroud area. In addition they also facilitated landscape-based projects, installations and events with other artists in such places as Capel Mill with the ‘Transitions’ project and ‘Racking Fields’ in Rodborough. In addition to their collaboration with artists, they also promote creative enterprises with other professions including, ecologists, historians, architects and renewable energy engineers.

Part of their work also includes creative involvement with schools, community groups, neighbourhood projects and conservation organisations such as The Cotswold Water Park, Natural England, the Cotswold Conservation Board and The Forestry Commission.

Walking the Land see their role not just as individual or even group artists, but also as facilitators of practical projects that bring an appreciation of the landscape to a wider audience. By inviting and encouraging local people to make artwork and responses based on their own direct experience of ‘the land’, they hope to provoke dialogue and discussion about both art, landscape, environmental and sustainability matters.

Walking the Land run creative workshops, art courses and walks in the Gloucestershire countryside throughout the year and will be active as a part of the 'site08' Visual Arts Festival which takes place in June 2008.

On this site you can find out more about Walking The Land and our activities. In particular how to take part in our projects and courses.