Growing Places: Art linking people with food, farming, wellbeing, nature and landscape.
Twenty two artists, thirty community groups and four partners with land around Stroud have been at the core of the project.
The community groups, including schools and charities from around Stroud, have worked with artists on wide variety of creative projects, all inspired by nature. Ten of the artists have been resident in a purpose built Gingerbread House drawing, printing, walking and gathering were some of the activities. Looking closely at compost was another, while on one occasion year 1 & 2 pupils walked across country to spend a day in the Gingerbread house. At other times, locally grown food has been cooked and eaten as part of a celebration of farming.
From its beginning in March 2024, Growing Places has sought to connect farming, food and landscape with the community through the arts. Set up by Walking the Land, the project was based largely on the land of the four partner organisations, Stroud Community Agriculture, Oakbrook Farm, Folly Wood community woodland and Hawkwood Centre for Future Thinking. It has been funded by the Cotswold National Landscape through Farming in Protected Landscapes, a DEFRA initiative.
Richard Keating, co founder of Walking the Land and one of the project’s three Lead Artists says: ‘Workshops, walks, and outdoor events were held on the land and collaborations formed between community groups, artists and landholders. Trees have been planted, woodland and hedgerows managed , various structures were built including compost bays at SCA made from larch milled from larch trees extracted from Folly Wood. Another structure designed and built by artists and crafts people transforms the entrance to the Hawkwood buildings and refers to the estate’s weaving and dying history .’
Scott Brown from The Cotswolds National Landscape commented, “The value of the arts in connecting communities with nature, outdoor activity and good food is often referred to in theory and we want Growing Places to put this into practice by connecting artists, land managers, members of community groups with the land in new and creative ways.”
Richard Keating adds: ‘By using art to engage people with the good practice of this group of landowners, the project has produced examples of engagement with farming which positively address climate change and environmental degradation’.
After the exhibition ends on 24th February Growing Places will publish a directory for use by all which offers information and routes through which this work may continue.
Register your interest and we’ll keep you up date with all the Growing Places walks, talks, workshops, events and artist opportunities.
Upcoming Events
Exhibition – Museum in the Park, Stroud, 25th January.
For a month starting on 25th January an exhibition all about the project takes place at the Museum in the Park, Stroud. Find out more here
Growing Places Gathering – 1st & 2nd February
On 1st and 2nd February a Growing Places Gathering takes place at Stroud’s Museum where all of those who took part are invited to share experiences, to enjoy the work on the walls and to eat the locally grown vegetables. Find out more here
The Gingerbread house – 1st & 2nd February will be in the museum courtyard hosting a range of activities including singing – songs composed by one of the resident artists will be performed. Find out more here
Find out more
Within the Growing Places project there are a number of interwoven elements
Growing Places Walk – walks to identify and map a Growing Places Walk to celebrate regenerative farming and woodland management which increase biodiversity and ameliorate climate change.
The Loom Wall – informed by a series of artist-led walks through the Hawkwood Estate, an artist and a craftsperson have designed and built a wall to soften the interface between Stroud Community Agriculture’s operations and the gardens surrounding Hawkwood. The wall incorporates art works which themselves are responses to the cultural and natural aspects of the place.
The Gingerbread House and artists residencies – the design and build of a small marquee designed & decorated to look like a gingerbread house, has been used as a resource for local artists and artists in residence, and workshops. The House and its resident and visiting artists has offered young and old visitors alike the wonder of weaving a story and the astounding intricacy of the world around us.
Community Family Tree – the distribution of woodblock prints to commemorate peoples’ involvement with associated tree planting and woodland management around the Growing Places Walk and to act as a link to an online map for future generations to visit.
The Growing Places Directory & Narrative – a means for community groups and individuals to access and support the resources offered by the Growing Places Partnership into the future, and a record of the project to provide a blueprint for others wishing to do something similar elsewhere. This will take the form of inspiring stories, including imagery and personal histories/interviews about Growing Places. People will be able to contact the partners for further details, and partners could contact potential user groups.
Composting Project – involving partners in the design and building of a composting facility, and dissemination of current best practice through a compost seminar and 8 creative workshops connecting regenerative agriculture, landscape, soil and food.
The Growing Places Festival and Conference – a celebratory learning event at the Museum in the Park during January and February 2025, comprising: walks, talks, exhibition and conference for wider dissemination of our findings.
Growing Places Press & Media
For a full list of press and media coverage sharing their enthusiasm for the project please click this link.
A small selection is listed below:
- https://www.stroudnewsandjournal.co.uk/news/24593646.pictures-sixty-brave-thunderstorms-stroud-event
- https://www.stroudnewsandjournal.co.uk/news/24459777.new-stroud-scheme-launches-connect-communities-artists-farmers
- https://stroudtimes.com/new-composting-facility-opens/
- https://stroudtimes.com/community-farm-celebrates-launch-of-new-compost-bays/
Find out more
Please use this form to register your interest and keep up to date with the range of activities including our walks, talks and workshops taking place between now and the final exhibition in February 2025 (Your information will be used only for this purpose.)
We are also interested to hear from artists, landowners, schools, groups and organisations who would like to be included in our directory.
Find us on Instagram @walking_theland and Facebook @artistswalking.
Email: growingplaces_admin@walkingtheland.org.uk.
Supported by DEFRA through the Farming in Protected Landscapes scheme