I’m delighted to hear that Arts Council England and The Forestry Commission have signed an MOU to work together to support contemporary arts in woodland areas. Some of you may be aware I worked for the Forest of Dean Sculpture Trust for several years as their Project Director – I enjoyed every minute of it. At the time, whilst there were already many art projects hosted on Forestry Commission land, they weren’t particularly regarded as an important part of the FC offer. Don’t get me wrong, FC were incredibly supportive, but their visitor surveys didn’t even ask about whether or not people came to see the art at their sites. But that’s all changed now.
The appointment of Hayley Skipper up at Grizedale a few years ago marked a wind-change for FC and their relationship with art. Since then, Hayley has worked very effectively towards this moment, which is very exciting to see. Excellent leadership and patience has paid off. And Cathy Mager on a local level is doing some great work too.
This MOU is a turning point for arts in the Forest of Dean too. I’ve blogged before about how things are happening here – Blackrock last year; new works on the Sculpture Trail; a selected show for Forest of Dean and Valleys Open Studios group; and artists migrating to live here. New groups are forming too, Forest Arts Action Group, around the Postcard Exhibitions which fundraise for refugee projects.
One thing about the Forest is the reliance on word of mouth to spread the news. Facebook is increasingly used and is cheaper than setting up web pages, and easier to update and share. Checkout a few of these links and find out what is going on (or has recently):
Forest of Dean and Wye Valleys Open Studios
Forest of Dean Sculpture Trust
Difference Screen (last year, continuing)
Carolyn Black 