A Way Forward? Trails, Art and Non-Invasive Interpretation Seminar
Part of the River Parrett Trail Revisited Project
Friday 24 March 2006, Burrowbridge

Key Points

•	Artists can make a valuable contribution to the long-term future of our landscape.Many artists are already working with natural history, heritage and landscape in partnership with land/countryside managers and rural communities.Contemporary artists are open to new ideas and through an interdisciplinary approach can initiate partnerships between different organisations and groups of people.

•	Arts can re-engage people and communities with the landscape.Sensitively engaging people with the distinctiveness of the local landscape can reinforce a sense of community and connectedness with the land.Issues can be raised, understanding of local heritage developed and traditional skills revived.Enhancing the experiencing of rural places, a re-engagement with caring about the landscape can develop.

•	Artists are exploring ‘non-invasivetechniques and practice, using new technologies and a ‘light touch’ on the environment. People orientated activities of a participatory and often temporary nature are being developed.There is huge potential in the combination of new technology and artistsion and creativity - the partnership makes it dynamic. 

•	Culture is a key economic driver in the South West contributing £1billion to the regional economy.This can be measured in economic, social and environmental terms.Culture as a whole includes arts, heritage, tourism, sport and landscape.

•	Notes and attendeesdetails will be circulated to encourage further communication, networking, skills sharing and partnership working. Representatives present from a wide range of organisations and agencies - Cotswolds to Cornwall.

•	Recommendation to subscribe to Arts Council England free online arts news service http://listmail.artsfb.org.uk:81/read/all_forums/Register then go to My Account/ Membership Type, choose Digest or Index.

•	A recommendation list for future projects will be created.

Organised by Somerset Art Week (SAW) in partnership with the River Parrett Trail and South Somerset District Council.

A Way Forward? Trails, Art and Non-Invasive Interpretation Seminar
Part of the River Parrett Trail Revisited Project
24 March 2006, Burrowbridge 

Organised by Somerset Art Week (SAW) in partnership with the River Parrett Trail and South Somerset District Council

Introductions:Carol Carey, Gordon Field (SAW)

Somerset Art Week (SAW)
Basis of organisation is working with artists, encouraging artists’ work in communities - extending interpretation and presentation of work, helping build more sustainable rural communities.Brokering opportunities for artists across Somerset, encouraging partnership working.Many artists are working with natural history, heritage and landscape.362 venues for Art Weeks September 2006.

Kate Jenkins - River Parrett Officer
River Parrett Trail is 50 mile walking route many stand-alone artworks.Some maintenance issues regarding existing work.
River Parrett Trail Revisited project is a platform for new ideas, its purpose is to engage people with the landscape.

Richard Crowe - Art and protected landscapes, the value of partnership.
Trails, art and non-invasive interpretation celebration of how good it can be.
Enhance the experience not the landscape.
Working on Regional Route for Somerset cultural routes.
Cultural sector as a whole - includes arts, heritage, tourism, sport and landscape.
Value of culture can be measured:
•	Economicas key economic driver in the region.RDA has recognised culture contributes £1billion to regional economy and is beginning to invest.Brings employment, skills (new and revived), benefit to local businesses, slows traffic, cultural tourism.
•	Social– Community development, learning and social inclusion.Consultation, participation, ownership, identity, understanding, confidence. 
•	Environmentaltraffic, circular paths, local materials, local produce.
•	Cultural, information, community, celebration.

Simon Lee Dicker - Lead Artist River Parrett Trail Revisited Project
Brief - Explore RPT and create artwork in response.
Using GPS walked the trail, finding what’s there and talking to people.
Looking for personal responses to the trail.Revisioning of trail and artwork.
Created an interactive artwork activated through exploration and where participation is integral.
Divided trail into 125 1km squares and asked people to get involved, select a square, locate on the ground with GPS and make a creative interpretation of that site.
Art pack has instructions of how to get involved and sets a mission.The questions included in art pack are a result of collaboration with a geologist and a poet.
People interact and provide text, pictures and drawings - this will develop to include film and photography.Simon’s drawings and contributorsinterpretations will be on the website.
The artwork is a platform for creativity.To encourage exploration of RPT and engagement with the surrounding landscape.Temporary work builds ongoing interest and makes people re-visit.
Working with schools, linking into mapping and geography and crossing disciplines.
Website www.rpr.org.ukto launch mid May.
Link up with other projects eg Blackdown Hills.

Questions/ Discussion
Chris Edwards Quantock Hills AONB Manager - Has ACE funding for 50 year celebration project, involving artists walking trails.Some similarities to RPT revisited, but had no knowledge of it to link up.
Caroline Corfe Somerset Arts Officers informed, they are a signposting agency.
John Brady to Arts Council England News Bulletin http://listmail.artsfb.org.uk:81/read/all_forums/free national arts news service.Register then go to My Account/ Membership Type, choose Digest or Index to prevent your inbox from being swamped.
Ben Totterdell, Tarka Trail - maintenance issues are common, often due to a lack of forward planning.
Jacy Wall for sustainable maintenance to be embedded in projects.
John Brady currently working on asset register of Local Authority works with guidance on procurement and maintenance of Public Art works in Somerset.Will not support projects that do not have maintenance in contract.When complete the document will be on www.somerset.gov.ukand www.somersetarts.complus District Council websites.
Question re use of contributions to project. Simon will select contributions for inclusion and will be in charge of content management, this is explained in art pack.
Who is the artwork aimed at?Work includes website, art pack and actual visiting.
Schools are involved and targeting family and friends of school children.
No fixed end to project, ambassadors to take it forward.
GPS can be borrowed from Langport Visitor Centre, Bridgwater Arts Centre, and another tbc.
Promoted through Parrett people magazine, RPT website and those of partners, SAW in September, word of mouth, at countywide schools geography conference.
Art pack is in brochure format, also to go online.

LUNCH

Nancy Sinclair Head Arts
Artist led rural arts organisation based on Dartmoor - using arts to get people re-engaged with landscape.
Working with ephemeral works and engagement with landscape without leaving a footprint.
Engaging communities, broadening understanding, raising issues and having fun in the landscape.
Ten Journeys Project of travel on Dartmoor for those who live and work there, landmarks in journeys.
Sounding Dartmoor soundscapes, listening walks.
Engaging young people, a lot of digital work.
Dartmoor Changes ringing and understanding heritage.
Focus on Farming a landscape primarily managed by farmers.
Touring work in non-arts venues.
Partnership with National Park, National Trust.

Michael Fairfax - Blackdown Hills Ridge Route, Lead Artist Neroche Heritage Project
Examples of past work in the landscape eg Tintagel Touchstones, 8 inscribed stones along 3 1/2 mile walk, together make a poem that is also seen in complete form in town square.
Putting things into landscape is tricky business.Has to be a less intrusive way of giving the public information, a way of harnessing modern technologies in the digital age and putting information into people’s pockets and not onto the landscape.
Working on project using PDAs (portable source of digital information) in the landscape. 
Examples of information available on PDA: maps, history, people, pictures, flora and fauna, audio, film. 
Information stored on XD cards that can be hired when you visit an area.
PDA functions will soon be available on mobile phones.

Questions/ Discussion
Artistic and dramatic potential of PDAs is of interest and to be explored.
Partnership of artists and technology is what makes it dynamic and interesting, to incorporate visionary aspect.
Idea to develop pilot project eg marker posts in landscape with a symbol/number that will be linked to poem/audio on PDA.
Tamar Valley - looking at ecological footprint and also utilising new technologies.
North Devon new technology to record oral history.
Info-mapper is used by schools, combination of aerial photography and maps, useful when working with young people and landscape.
Is there any need for physical interpretation/intervention?
Historically it has always been in the landscape and always will be yes, room for both.
Names and contact details of attendees to be circulated.
Notes from seminar to be circulated to stimulate further discussion, networking and encourage partnership working.
A recommendation list for future projects will be created.