Introducing the artists for Creatively Connected

3 December 2024

The North Pennines National Landscape team and the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority are proud to announce Creatively Connected, an arts project funded by The National Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council England to respond to the landscape and environmental issues across Teesdale and Swaledale.

Five artists have been appointed to work closely with the Tees Swale: naturally connected team, communities and partners to share ideas and develop creative conversations. The creative process will explore topics such as hill farming, conservation, nature restoration, environmental issues and the landscape. People will get the chance to discover in new ways through workshops and installations including sound, video and mixed media.

The project, produced by Northern Heartlands, will enable a wide range of groups to creatively connect in new ways with the environment and nature inspired by Teesdale and Swaledale landscapes.

Patrick Oulton, Tees-Swale Programme Manager with the North Pennines team, said: “Using money raised by National Lottery players, Creatively Connected provides unique opportunities for groups to discover the hidden qualities of the landscape throughout Teesdale and Swaledale. We look forward to working with the artists, exploring nature and understanding the environment in creative ways.”

Mark Corner, Member Champion for the Natural Environment at the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority said: “We are excited to see what this talented group of artists produce as they begin their creative journey to explore the stunning landscapes of Teesdale and Swaledale. And we are grateful to Arts Council England, The National Lottery Heritage Fund and to anyone who has played the National Lottery, for funding a project that will creatively shine a light on the challenges faced by our upland farming communities and the importance of nature recovery”.

Creatively Connected artists

Azadeh Fatehrad, working across Teesdale and Swaledale for Creatively Connected.

Azadeh is an artist and researcher using multiple approaches for public engagement with environmental conservation. Collaborating with underrepresented groups, Azadeh uses film, photography and installation art to reflect local social and environmental challenges.

Azadeh said: “I’m excited about this project because it offers a unique opportunity to deepen my exploration of the relationship between communities and their surrounding environments. Engaging with the rich cultural and natural landscape of Teesdale and Swaledale, I will reflect the local voices and experiences of the farmers, conservationists and other diverse groups across the area. I will be curating meaningful conversations around social issues and sustainability, creating artwork in collaboration with a range of individuals.”

Tim Shaw and John Coburn, will be exploring Swaledale as part of Creatively Connected.

For over 10 years, John and Tim (Wild Museum) have created collaborative artworks that connect a wide range of audiences through sound and listening. Through soundwalking, sound installations, performances, workshops and live radio events Wild Museum has engaged people with their rural landscape.

John said: “We are excited to explore Swaledale and Teesdale, the land and its people, its farmlands and fells, its historical trails and waterways, its caves and subterranean ecologies. Working with groups, we will create sound and listening opportunities that inspire alternative ways of knowing these places; creating empathy with its species and spaces and consideration for environmental impacts.”

Laura Harrington will be working across Teesdale and Swaledale for Creatively Connected.

Laura works across a variety of methods and media, including filmmaking, audio visual installation, sound, drawing, fieldwork and listening. Her work considers the complex relations between humans and landscapes, through research and process enquiries. For over 14 years, peatlands, uplands and rivers have been a regular focus of Laura’s work, embedding what she calls ‘upstream consciousness’ at the core of her creative approach.

Laura said, “I’m hugely excited about this opportunity as it focuses on environmental issues, building upon work I have done in this area and continuing to engage with a wide range of communities. I’m interested in how creative approaches can create deeper understanding of nature and the environment. I look forward to working with farmers, landowners, local residents and conservationists to create unique creative perspectives from this landscape.”

Matt Denham, will be focused on Teesdale for Creatively Connected.

Matt’s work explores shared experiences of our physical, virtual and psychological environments in a changing society. His work emerges through open discussions and engagement with communities, developing video installation, sound, digital media and textile works that reveal and connect global issues.

Matt said, “For Creatively Connected, I am looking forward to meeting and spending time with the local farmers, individuals, landscapes and flora of Teesdale. This is a unique opportunity to develop my recent work exploring the value of low-intensity farming systems to our natural environment. Working together with members of the public, producers, stakeholders and environmental organisations I hope to dig deeper into ways of encountering and understanding the landscape.”

ENDS

Notes for editors

Contact Sarah Hudspeth, Communications Lead from the North Pennines National Landscape team for further information – communications@northpennines.org.uk  Phone: 01388 528801 / 07768 123247

Images of the artists are attached. For alternative images please contact the communications team on communications@northpennines.org.uk

1. About The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
As the largest dedicated funder of the UK’s heritage, The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future as set out in our strategic plan, Heritage 2033.

Over the next ten years, we aim to invest £3.6billion raised for good causes by National Lottery players to bring about benefits for people, places and the natural environment.

We help protect, transform and share the things from the past that people care about, from popular museums and historic places, our natural environment and fragile species, to the languages and cultural traditions that celebrate who we are.

We are passionate about heritage and committed to driving innovation and collaboration to make a positive difference to people’s lives today, while leaving a lasting legacy for future generations to enjoy.

Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLottery #HeritageFund  www.heritagefund.org.uk

2. About Arts Council England
Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. They invest public money from Government and The National Lottery to help support the arts sector and to deliver their vision. www.artscouncil.org.uk

3. The North Pennines National Landscape is one of England’s most special places – a peaceful, unspoilt landscape with a rich history and vibrant natural beauty. It was designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1988. The purpose of this nationally recognised designation is the conservation and enhancement of the natural beauty of the area.

At almost 2,000 sq. kilometres the North Pennines is the second largest of the 46 National Landscapes (in England, Wales and Northern Ireland) and is one of the most peaceful and unspoilt places in England. Visit www.landscapesforlife.org.uk for information about the National Landscapes family.

The North Pennines lies between the National Parks of the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales, and Northumberland with the urban centres of County Durham away to the east. Parts of the National Landscape are within the boundaries of four local authorities; Cumberland Council, Durham County Council, Northumberland County Council, and Westmorland & Furness Council.

The Yorkshire Dales National Park is one of 15 National Parks in the UK. It is administered by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, which has two main purposes: “to conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage” and “to promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of the National Park”.

In carrying out these purposes, the Authority has a duty “to seek to foster the economic and social well-being of local communities”. The National Park Authority comprises 25 members, made up of county and district councillors and members appointed by the Secretary of State for the Environment to represent parishes or in recognition of their specialist skills or knowledge.

4. The North Pennines National Landscape Partnership is an alliance of public, statutory and voluntary sector bodies with an interest in the future of the North Pennines. The work of the Partnership is carried out by the National Landscape team which takes action to conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the area, to raise awareness of its special qualities and to improve the quality of life for local people.

5. Northern Heartlands is an arts organisation based in County Durham bringing the creativity of artists together with individuals, community groups and partner organisations. They create projects, activities and events that can change how people feel about themselves, the places where they live and what happens there. https://www.northernheartlands.org/

6. UNESCO Global Geopark – As well as being a National Landscape, the North Pennines is a UNESCO Global Geopark. This puts the area’s Geopark status in the same UNESCO family as World Heritage Sites and Biosphere Reserves. UNESCO Global Geoparks are places with outstanding geology where special effort is made to make the most of geological heritage to support community and economy. Locally this includes producing geo-trails, developing projects with school and community groups, producing displays for visitor attractions and holding geology festivals and events.