Saving nature through arts engagement

A new artistic collaboration with Wales’s flagship Green Recovery project, Natur am Byth (NaB) will help to connect more people to nature and inspire a nation on the plight of our most threatened species.

Following a call for applications in May, ten artists have been successfully appointed to undertake a series of Associate Artists Residencies across Wales, as part of NaB’s Arts Engagement programme.

The residencies will deliver against the third strand of the NaB project, to re-think the way we see species, through creative activities and mini projects, which will help to tell the fascinating stories of our most vulnerable species who are at the greatest threat of extinction, through arts and culture.

Some of the species at risk that will be highlighted through the residencies include the Barbastelle Bat, Shrill Carder Bee and the High Brown Fritillary.

Each residency will:

• Explore the role of artistic processes in re-thinking the way we see species – particularly our most vulnerable, which are often small in scale and unremarkable at first glance
• Use creative strategies and activities to engage people, specifically with low physical and/or mental well-being (including those impacted in this way by the COVID-19 pandemic) in reflecting on the issues impacting the species at each of the project sites across Wales. With a view to enhancing and protecting the wellbeing and habitats of both species and participants.
• Create an online archive of digital artworks produced through the residencies that helps to tell the fascinating stories of our most vulnerable species to a wider audience and reflects the national context of the Natur am Byth programme.

The Arts Engagement Programme has been funded by the National Lottery Heritage fund and the Arts Council of Wales.

John Clark, Programme Manager for Natur am Byth said:

Wales has a long tradition of using its landscapes as performance and artistic spaces, and as the creative sector seeks new and innovative ways of bringing art to communities, the environment sector can provide real inspiration and support.

The vital importance of tackling the causes and impacts of the climate and nature emergencies and the species most at risk, are rich areas of exploration and inspiration for artists across the world. Bringing together those who are expert in environmental science with artists who can communicate the urgency and importance of the challenges facing us.

Nature has an amazing, well-documented ability to help us to heal and lift our feelings of physical and mental wellbeing. This is a really exciting opportunity to work with creative professionals to enable an opportunity for more people to connect with nature by engaging with the arts programme. Each artist brings an exceptional range of practices that will celebrate the value of nature to Welsh Culture, language, and our sense of wellbeing.

Dr Sarah Pace and Dr Tracy Simpson, Co-directors of Addo Creative said:

We were hugely impressed with the scale of interest in the residency programme and the high quality of applications received. Each of the ten artist residencies will showcase the power of artists’ practices to connect the people of Wales with nature to enhance their wellbeing as well as that of our most endangered species.

Karine Décorne, Programme Manager, Creative Nature, Arts Council of Wales said:

We’re thrilled that the appointment of 10 artists adds further support for creative professionals working in Wales. This builds on our Memorandum of Understanding with NRW and further supports our Creative Nature Partnership which aims to build relationships between the Arts and Nature.

We welcome everyone to join the Natur am Byth journey – use the #NaturAmByth on your socials to search for posts across our platforms and check out our website. 

From left - right: Catrin Menai, Patricia MacKinnon-Day, Hedydd Ioan, Lily T Tonkin Wells, Cheryl Beer, Martha Orbach, Glenn Davidson & Anne Hayes (art station), Vivian Ross-Smith, Bettina Furnee, Vicky Isley and Paul Smith (boredomresearch).