Arts Project
Watch the film, Threading through the landscape, which captures elements of the arts project: land draw, dance, oral history, milestones and the musical composition by Dale Sumner. To request a copy of the film on DVD, please contact us.
To find out more about the arts project, take a look at our webportal where you will find film, sound and images to take you on a journey to the Itchen Navigation.
Download the Musical composition inspired by the sounds of the Itchen Navigation. Left click the link to listen to the music or right click for download options (NB. Very large file - 15MB).
Threading through the landscape
The Itchen Navigation Art Trail is being hosted by Southampton Central Library throughout November 2011. Images from the arts project are on display at Southampton General Hospital from October 2011 to April 2012.
Milestones and the Pausing Pl
ace
See photos of the permanent installations created as part of the arts project.
X Marks the Spot Winners
The winners of our open art submission called 'X Marks the Spot' were: CE Smith, Dalia Vainorius and Matthew Totman. View all the X Marks the Spot artwork including the winning entries on the web portal.
Land Draw and Dance Events
Three Land Draw and Dance Events have now taken place at Southampton (Sept '09), Eastleigh (May '10) and Winchester (Jul '10). At each event hundreds of people helped create huge designs of salmon, eels and dragonflies and students from local secondary schools performed Itchen inspired dance through the land art (choreography by Wise Moves Dance). The designs are shown below and more pictures from the events can be found in our Image Gallery.
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| Winchester Land Draw |
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Eastleigh Land Draw |
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| Southampton Land Draw |
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust worked with artist Abigail Downer on the Itchen Navigation Arts Project from 2009 to 2011. The aim of the arts project was to attract a wider audience to get involved in the Itchen Navigation Heritage Trail Project, through workshops, activities and public events.
"I am inspired by the rhythm - the constant flow through the land that is often hidden and unseen by the casual passer by." - Abigail Downer
"I am inspired by the encounter with a watery oasis that runs cheek by jowl with habitation, industry, road and rail - the hustle and bustle of modern life. The Itchen Navigation cut from ancient watercourses that have fed the land throughout history allows today's generation to travel back in time and imagine." - Abigail Downer
Elements of the arts project included:
- Public land draw events next to the river - the public helped create giant images of salmon and eel using natural materials, such as sand, grass and bark chips. Events were run by Abigail Downer and SpaceScape Events.
- The Itchen Navigation music was composed by Dale Sumner - he can be contacted at opusmelodi@btinternet.com or 0781 703 0050.
- Dance workshops with local secondary schools run by Wise Moves Dance
- Workshops with local primary schools and family groups run by the SpaceScape team.
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Oral history interviews conducted by Padmini Broomfield.
- A web portal will be the legacy of the project incorporating the sound, still images and moving images created as part of the project. The arts project video, Threading through the landscape, can be viewed on the web portal.
- An open art submission called 'X Marks the Spot' - entries can be viewed at: http://www.itchennavigation.net/
- Permanent on-site elements: milestones and pausing places designed by Abigail Downer , stone cut by APS masonry and engraved by Alec Peever.
