New Art project welcomes Refugees to connect with Nature in the Tamar Valley
A new project, aimed at connecting people with Nature through art, has just been launched in Tamar Valley National Landscape.
Local creative practitioners, Jo Tytherleigh, Hanna Collins and Matt Bryden have been commissioned by Tamar Valley National Landscape as part of the national Nature Calling project, and will be welcoming refugees and asylum seekers into the Tamar Valley over the next few months to encourage them to start their own story in this protected landscape.
The project Rooted: A journey through Land, Story and Belonging will include three walks around different parts of the Tamar Valley and two sessions at Harewood Farm, Calstock, where the group will grow and share food that will form part of a celebration event at the end of the project. Through writing, photography, artwork and sound recordings, participants will be supported and guided to capture their experience in the Tamar Valley, along with the benefits that interacting with Nature may bring.
Jo Tytherleigh, from Harewood Farm is looking forward to getting started: “As the grower and chef for Rooted, I’m excited to help create connection through food. Working with the soil, growing ingredients, and cooking together is a powerful way to build trust and belonging. I’m looking forward to sharing delicious meals, shaped by the group, using what we grow. The garden and kitchen will be spaces of care, creativity, and homecoming.”
The groups will arrive by train on the Tamar Valley Line, and will be accompanied by a member of the team from Devon and Cornwall Refugee Support. Tressa Thomas, Wellbeing and Education Lead, says: “This project will be of great benefit to people who are in the process of seeking asylum here in the UK. We hope that these sessions will give the participants confidence to explore the Tamar Valley independently, and use it as a place to breathe and just be.”
Bryony James, Community & Engagement Officer for Tamar Valley National Landscape’s Tamara Landscape Partnership Scheme (supported by National Lottery Heritage Fund), says: “We are really excited to be a part of this project, and are looking forward to welcoming new communities and groups of people into the Tamar Valley, to discover just how special this area is for both Nature and people.”
The £2 million Nature Calling project, funded by Arts Council England, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and National Landscapes in England, is a ground-breaking new art programme that will amplify new voices and create innovative artwork in collaboration with communities close to National Landscapes. It will build a national Season of Art, sharing the work between May and October 2025.
You can follow Rooted’s journey through social media (@tamarvalleynl, @harewoodfarmgirl, @hannacollinsphoto and @mattbrydenpoetry) or sign up to receive regular ebulletins from Tamar Valley National Landscape (email: charlotte.dancer@cornwall.gov.uk).
Pictured below: Jo Tytherleigh, Matt Bryden and Hanna Collins.
