Mendip Hills National Landscape a Major Hub in £2M Ground-Breaking National Art Project

The Mendip Hills National Landscape and Weston-super-Mare will feature as a major hub in a £2M ground-breaking national art project called Nature Calling. The project is funded by Arts Council England, the Department for Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (Defra) and National Landscapes in England. 

Nature Calling is a first for National Landscapes because of its size, scope and the level of investment. It aims to inspire communities across England to connect with National Landscapes, increasing their access to nature, improving their wellbeing, and inspiring a sense of belonging in these special places. 

Nature Calling will bring together the 34 National Landscapes in England, local arts organisations and community groups from within a 30-minute journey time of their nearby National Landscape. They will work together to co-create artworks inspired by these iconic places and the results will then be shared with the public in a Season of Art from May – October 2025. It is expected that 70,000 people will take part.  

National Landscapes are the UK’s nearby countryside. 66% of people in England (44 million) live within 30 minutes of a National Landscape, over 1 million people live  within them and at least 170 million people visit every year. Nature Calling aims to encourage even more communities to feel welcome to enjoy these special places on their own terms.

Tim Haselden, Project Development Officer for the Mendip Hills National  Landscape Team said: 

“We’re so excited to be part of Nature Calling and to be working with communities in Weston-super-Mare. We’ve partnered with Super Culture and commissioned Sound UK to help us inspire and connect local people with the Mendip Hills National Landscape and new Mendip ‘super’ National Nature Reserve. As the project develops, we’re looking forward to sharing more information about how people can get involved.” 

John Watkins, Chief Executive of the National Landscapes Association said: 

“The great thing about Nature Calling is that it’s a chance for new voices to interpret  the National Landscapes of England in new ways. Arts Council England and Defra funding means we can deliver our first all-England arts programme with six National Landscape teams working with artists to celebrate these iconic places with a season  of events in 2025.”  

Darren Henley, Chief Executive, Arts Council England, said: 

“Throughout time, our greatest artists have been inspired by England’s wonderful  landscape. Now, we’re supporting a new generation of artists to bring to life their own awe-inspiring work in response to our natural environment. I’m excited to see what they will create.” 

Nature Calling is a partnership project between the National Landscapes Association, Activate Performing Arts, Poetry School and 6 National Landscapes that will operate as key hubs of activity. Taking inspiration from National Landscapes, writers will start the creative process with words in the form of poetry, song, prose or  rap, for example. Using these words, local communities will work with artists to co create their presentation piece for the Season of Art. This could include dance, theatre, installation, digital, or music. 

To find out more or to get involved, please visit www.naturecalling.org.uk

Visit Mendip Hills National Landscape website: mendiphills-nl.org.uk

 

Photo by Anastasiya Badun