With the usual Winter Droving festivities put on hold until 2021 the Eden Arts team have used their creativity and ingenuity to create some totally new experiences for children and grown-ups alike.
“While it is a real shame that we can’t do the Winter Droving as usual this year, we have worked really hard and creatively to ensure that there is something safe, fun and inspiring to take its place that you can do in family groups. It has been great that we have been able to collaborate and commission cumbrian artists to make the work as well as working with local businesses. We hope that it will contribute to keeping the high street vibrant and support local shops as well as providing much needed cultural and social activity.” said Heather Walker, Deputy Director, Eden Arts.
Face.Masks is a specially created new work that will be projected on to St Andrew’s Church in Penrith between 28th October and 31st October, the event will also feature The Faery Trail by Lucas Chih-Peng Kao.
For Face.Masks Eden Arts issued a call-out for members of the Eden wide community to nominate people they knew around the subject of ‘care’. Around 100 people were nominated and 52 members of the public have now been photographed and videoed to become part of the projections.
Under the artistic direction of Adrian Lochhead, Director, Eden Arts working with lead artist Zoe Forster, they recorded the footage of people for the installation over two days of socially distanced appointments at Eden Arts base in Penrith. Eden Arts were introduced to Zoe when she was shortlisted for Eden Arts’ Young Cumbrian Artist of the Year earlier in the year, she is currently in her final year at the Slade School of Fine Art, University College London. The work has been edited by Nick Greenall and produced by Bryoney Cartlidge with technical management from Simon Cole at Eden Arts.
The outcome is a thoughtful and poignant celebration of the ordinary people whose acts of kindness make the world go round a little smoother.
Timed entry tickets are now available to book. Eden Arts are asking for donations to support The Winter Droving going forward and Eden Arts work, as with many other arts and cultural organisations their income has been affected by the COVID pandemic and future work is at risk.
You can book your entry slot at www.edenarts.co.uk/WD2020
All the activities have been made possible by funding from Arts Council England, Cumbria County Council, Eden District Council, Penrith BID and Pride in Penrith Lottery.
Hiding in Plain Sight
Penrith town centre shop windows will be transformed and filled with large scale images of members of the public. Each person featured was selected or nominated for their small acts of kindness, community work, or going above and beyond in their work.
Scattered throughout the town, portraits of masked locals will be on display from Saturday 24th October. Eden Arts commissioned Penrith based photographer Richie Johnston of Optical Vitamins to create the dreamy portraits. They are a fun take on the Droving themes, and will be a great addition to the town centre throughout the winter. Richie is a local artist who Eden Arts have worked with on several projects since he graduated from Falmouth College of Art. The work was produced by Heather Walker, Deputy Director and Bryoney Cartlidge, Producer of Eden Arts.
Eden Arts would like to thank Penrith Business Improvement District and Discover Penrith for sponsoring this work and the participating shops; Arragons Cycles, Town Hall Treasures, J&J Graham, 4 Eden Bakery, The Chopping Block, British Heart Foundation, Penrith New Squares (Sainsbury’s) and the Owners of Former Co-op and to H&H Reeds for working with us to manufacture and install the window images. www.edenarts.co.uk/HidingInPlainSight
Little Drovers Winter Droving Trail
Pick up a Winter Droving Trail Map from Townhall Treasures, J&J Graham, Arragons Cycles or Angel Lane Chippie and have a hunt around Penrith Town Centre to find the droving animals…. there are 10 droving animals to find on signs around Penrith!
When you find an animal write it down on your sheet. Once you have found all 10 take your completed map back to Townhall Treasures, J&J Graham, Arragon’s Cycles or Angel Lane Chippie and you will get a prize!
You can also download a map trail map and find out more go to www.edenarts.co.uk/little-drovers
Trail will be available from Sat 24th October onwards.
Bella
For the grown-ups there is a more curious trail. The same ten signs for the Droving Trail also contain QR codes that trigger videos following the story of Bella, a visiting vlogger who is tracking down the history of the Droving. As she goes around the town following the trail visiting places such as the Castle and the Giant’s Grave, Brunswick Yard and even the Druid’s Arms she comes across mysterious people and things that lead her to… where?
“When you follow the Penrith Winter Droving trail you will walk in the footsteps of 5000 years of travellers through Penrith and Eden Valley. It will take you to unimaginable places from ancient enclosures to secret caves. You will march on roman roads and walk along the market lanes where cattle were brought for centuries.” Dr. Peter Einstein, Historian (Author of Winter Droving Trail Map)
Bella is a new interactive online artwork created especially for Penrith and Eden by Eden Arts. Concept by Adrian Lochhead, film directed by Andy Berriman, it features words by Eden writer Katie Hale and actor Natalie Bowers. It was produced by Heather Walker and Byroney Cartlidge. It’s episodic form is intended to be developed into a year-long online drama/treasure hunt.
Go to www.edenarts.co.uk/bella for more info and start finding the clues..
Available from Saturday 24th October.
