Art project connects young people with the uplands of Teesdale and Swaledale

Two artists, Joanne Coates and Abre Etteh, have worked with young people in and around the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and UNESCO Global Geopark, and the Yorkshire Dales National Park to create artworks in the landscape at Bowlees Visitor Centre, Teesdale and Muker Meadows, Swaledale.

The North Pennines AONB Partnership and the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority are working together to deliver ‘Tees-Swale: naturally connected’, a natural heritage programme funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Tees-Swale puts farmers and land managers at the forefront of nature recovery in the nationally important landscapes of Teesdale and Swaledale.

As part of the programme, the project ‘Creatively Connected’ uses art to engage with participants from within and outside the project area, strengthening ties and encouraging creative thinking about the landscape. ‘Creatively Connected’ is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

In Teesdale, Joanne Coates has been working with Bowes Hutchinson Primary School, Cotherstone Primary School, Teesdale Secondary School and a youth group from Upper Teesdale Agricultural Support Services (UTASS). The groups explored issues that are important to them through photography and handwritten diaries. Their work will be displayed in the grounds of Bowlees Visitor Centre between 09 April and 02 May 2022 after which it will be gifted back to the participants.

Talking about the landscape, Joanne said that “the uplands give me better health” and what struck her most was “the sounds and textures of the land, how different Teesdale and Swaledale are but both have a complicated beauty woven with hints of a working past”. Joanne is an award-winning artist using a documentary photography approach to capture everyday stories. Based in the rural North of England, she is interested in modes of production, rurality, working life and class inequality.

Abre Etteh is working with schools close to Swaledale to produce a series of hand-woven woollen panels in the landscape. Abre has worked with The Rydal Academy (Darlington), Burneston Primary School (Bedale), Applegarth Primary School (Northallerton) and Carers Plus (young carer group, Northallerton) to weave the panels inspired by the characteristic drystone walls. They will be installed at Muker Meadows between 18 and 24 April 2022. Following the exhibition, the panels will be displayed at several local venues before being gifted to the schools involved in their production.

Abre hopes that the piece will highlight our connection to places and the effort it takes to establish and maintain places as a community. Asked about the importance of connecting with the landscape Abre said:

“I believe it is important for us to foster communal relationships. Caring for others includes caring for places. Art has the power to be a medium to promote care for the landscape within the context of nurturing community.”

Creatively Connected is managed by Beam on behalf of the North Pennines AONB Partnership and Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority. Beam is an arts organisation      who promote, commission, and deliver transformative arts programmes to inspire communities and support the development of great places. Through the programme people will be immersed in stories of the landscape, celebrating the rich natural and cultural heritage of this area. The process connects individuals and communities with the landscapes of Upper Teesdale and Upper Swaledale. With interest in the area sparked by arts activity, it encourages people to experience, learn more about, return to, and celebrate this area.

Both artworks are outdoor installations and are free to attend. Please enjoy responsibly by following the Countryside Code.

With thanks to the landowner Raby Estates and funder The National Lottery Heritage Fund.