Poetry, Dance and Film Illuminate Two Iconic Nature Rich Sites in Devon and Cornwall

The ecology, history, and communities around two iconic nature rich sites in Devon and Cornwall are being brought to life through a series of live events and screenings this June and July.

Since January, two sets of artists have been working closely with scientists, historians, and local communities to creatively respond to these distinctive sites, both of which are designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) by Natural England.

The initiative, entitled ‘Leeside’, is a collaboration between Natural England and Arts and Culture, University of Exeter with support from thePeople and Biodiversity Networkat the University of Exeter. Its aim is to bring together creative practice and ecological knowledge to reimagine how we engage with protected landscapes and inform protected site strategies.

Eirini Saratsi, Senior Specialist, Social Science, Natural England said, “Protected Site Strategies aim to form new local ‘Nature Collectives’ which will help address pressing environmental issues such as pollution in our rivers or loss of peatland, an essential carbon storing habitat, and allow for harmonious coexistence of people and the rest of nature.”

At Challacombe Farm, a working farm on Dartmoor with a recorded history dating back to the Domesday Book, Devon based choreographer Richard Chappell and poet Saili Katebe have developed Challacombe Chronicled, a new work that brings together dance and poetry, to reflect the farm’s natural and cultural heritage.

Collaborating with filmmaker Daniel Martin, the team has focused on themes of care, renewal, and resistance responding to the rhythms of the land to weave together a piece which speaks to the ecological and cultural significance of Challacombe’s landscapes.

Audiences will have three opportunities to experience this work live:

• Sunday 29 June: A site-specific walking performance at Challacombe Farm, featuring Richard Chappell Dance, Saili Katebe, and members of the local community. The piece invites audiences to move through the landscape, encountering poetry and dance as part of the journey. It’s free to attend but places are limited so please book in advance here. 
• Friday 4 July: An evening event at the Moor Imagination Centre (MIC) in Buckfastleigh, including performances by dancer and climate activist Marla King, live music from Kingsteignton born folk artist Ben Moss, and a cast of community dancers. This performance is pay what you can afford. You can book via MIC here. 
• Sunday 6 July: Excerpts of the piece will also be performed at Exeter Green Phoenix Festival. Find out more here. 

In parallel, filmmakers Xenia Glen and Antosh Wojcik of Sleepwalker Studios have been working along the Camel Estuary in Cornwall, engaging with local communities from Wadebridge, Rock, and Padstow, and examining the site’s ecological, historical, and social dynamics through film. The film, working title ‘Camel Before the Storm’ , highlights both traditional and modern conservation efforts whilst also illustrating the local community’s evolving relationship with the estuary. Using a range of experimental film, sound and animation techniques the work also centres around poetry created in response to community workshops and academic research.

Xenia Glen said, “Making ‘Camel Before the Storm’ has been an enlightening process. It’s been wonderful exploring the Camel Estuary with the film’s co-creator Antosh Wojcik, as well as working with our production manager Lily Baldwin, and collaborating with people from the area.”

Antosh Wojick added, “The project has yielded both wonder and questions about our place in nature and attempts to preserve spaces belonging both to humans and non-humans. The film is a lyrical collage intersecting ecological and sociological issues – we hope it stirs moments of revelation, reflection and enjoyment for audiences as we play with the estuary’s many elements, images and voices on screen.”

A work-in-progress screening of the film will be held at Exeter Phoenix on Monday 30 June at 6pm, alongside a screening of Challacombe Chronicled with an introduction by the commissioned artists. The screening is free attend, but tickets are limited and must be booked in advance through the Exeter Phoenix.

Stephanie Allen, Arts and Culture, University of Exeter Project Manager for Leeside said “We are really excited to see these collaborative projects come to fruition after an intense period working out in the landscape, with the artists embedding themselves in the protected sites and engaging with the range of communities that surround them. We hope the final works they allow new perspectives and access points for people to understand more about these precious and protected sites and what makes them so special.”

Both commissions form part of a wider strategy to explore how creative approaches can deepen public engagement with the management of protected sites. The work generated through Leeside will inform how Natural England might incorporate arts-led insights into future policy and conservation strategies.

Eirini Saratsi, Senior Specialist, Social Science, Natural England said, “This research will contribute to the roll out of Protected Site Strategies in coming years. Insights from the Leeside project will be distilled in the Advisory Guidance for Protected Site Strategies which will be published in 2025.”

For more information and to book tickets for any of the above events, click here.

The Leeside Arts Commissions are funded by Natural England, and delivered through a partnership between Natural England and Arts and Culture, University of Exeter, with support from the University of Exeter’s Biodiversity and People Network.