Multisensory multispecies storytelling to engage disadvantaged groups in changing landscapes
Lead Research Organisation:
Edge Hill University
Department Name: Creative Arts
Abstract
The project will use multispecies storytelling to engage disadvantaged groups in the north west in decision making processes about landscape and land use. The project follows on from the successful AHRC 'Connecting disadvantaged young people with landscape through arts', 'Stories2Connect' and 'Multispecies Storytelling: More than human narratives about landscape' projects, all of which use storytelling in participatory ways. These projects have worked with disadvantaged and disabled young people, children, and diverse groups of community farm users. The methods and learning gained from previous projects are being brought together and synthesised to engage new audiences, collaborate with new stakeholder organisations and develop new themes of work. Specifically, the project will use multispecies storytelling to develop multisensory artefacts about landscape that capture the voices of marginalised communities and disadvantaged groups and respond to a variety of different ways of making sense of the world. Understanding a landscape from the 'memory' of an oak tree, 'seeing' the land as a bee might, experiencing a space as a soundscape or through touch or smell invites thinking about landscape and land use from different perspectives, through other timeframes and scales. Multispecies approaches have been effective in engaging people with issues related to biodiversity loss and climate change and can encourage identifications and connections with land, environments and other species who inhabit them. They also prompt consideration of whose stories about landscape are being told, and who is enabled to tell them.
The follow on funding will be used to expand work with organisations linked to the existing projects and enhance the reach and impact of the projects with new stakeholder organisations. Connections with Burscough Community Farm, Rusland Horizons Trust, Blackpool Council, Art Gene, the Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, local artists and professional storytellers will be maintained and new partnerships with the National Autistic Society, Natural England, Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Martin Mere, Williamson Art Gallery and Museum and The Chapel Gallery will be enabled by the follow on funding. Through the partners, the project will continue to work with community farm users and young people with disabilities and will also include young people with autism, facilitated by the National Autistic Society. The project will, through new and existing partners, expand the geographical coverage of the previous projects further across the north west to reach new audiences through the partner organisations that have agreed to provide venues for exhibitions and events.
The project will utilise innovative participatory methodologies and resources developed in the previous projects which will be applied in the co-creation of a new series of multisensory artefacts that will be curated and exhibited at different indoor and outdoor sites across the north west. The multisensory artefacts and environments developed will use multispecies storytelling and, as well as visual aspects, may also employ, for example, sound, smell, space and touch to respond to the needs and understandings of a wide range of potential users, rather than prioritising traditional or limited sensory engagements with the world. The exhibitions will be accompanied by key events to which decision makers from stakeholder groups and those organisations with vested interests in landscape and land use will be invited.
The follow on funding will be used to expand work with organisations linked to the existing projects and enhance the reach and impact of the projects with new stakeholder organisations. Connections with Burscough Community Farm, Rusland Horizons Trust, Blackpool Council, Art Gene, the Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, local artists and professional storytellers will be maintained and new partnerships with the National Autistic Society, Natural England, Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Martin Mere, Williamson Art Gallery and Museum and The Chapel Gallery will be enabled by the follow on funding. Through the partners, the project will continue to work with community farm users and young people with disabilities and will also include young people with autism, facilitated by the National Autistic Society. The project will, through new and existing partners, expand the geographical coverage of the previous projects further across the north west to reach new audiences through the partner organisations that have agreed to provide venues for exhibitions and events.
The project will utilise innovative participatory methodologies and resources developed in the previous projects which will be applied in the co-creation of a new series of multisensory artefacts that will be curated and exhibited at different indoor and outdoor sites across the north west. The multisensory artefacts and environments developed will use multispecies storytelling and, as well as visual aspects, may also employ, for example, sound, smell, space and touch to respond to the needs and understandings of a wide range of potential users, rather than prioritising traditional or limited sensory engagements with the world. The exhibitions will be accompanied by key events to which decision makers from stakeholder groups and those organisations with vested interests in landscape and land use will be invited.
Planned Impact
The activities will transfer expertise and knowledge from academic institutions to the public domain. The knowledge exchange processes of the original 'Multispecies Storytelling' network and 'Connecting Disadvantaged Young People with Landscape through Arts' projects, working with community groups and organisations, will be extended and strengthened. Distribution of our methodologies in accessible and usable forms to organisations and groups will enhance the participation of marginalised people in decisions about issues that are of immediate concern to them.
The focus on landscape and the natural environment will give adults, children and young people opportunities to experience the outdoor environment close to where they live, enabling the related well-documented benefits to health and well-being. This research will benefit diverse groups by recognising their importance as co-producers of knowledge about land and landscape.
The project also goes beyond human stakeholder groups and acknowledges that other species shape the landscape and have interests in its use. Species other than humans are considered stakeholders in this project and through multispecies storytelling both human and more-than-human stakeholders are given a voice. This is intended to support local community empowerment, acknowledge the importance of biodiversity to landscape, and inform future decision-making processes that rely on understanding the non-monetary values attached to land, landscape and the species who inhabit them.
Land owners and organisations such as the National Trust, National Autistic Society, Burscough Community Farm, Wildfowl and Wetland Trust, and Natural England will benefit from being able to access the views and contributions of marginalised groups presented in accessible ways, when engaged in making decisions. They will also have access to methods for conducting their own research with marginalised groups when considering new projects or initiatives.
Artists using a wide range of modes and media (poets, creative writers, artists, storytellers, song-writers) will be employed by the groups. This will strengthen community bonds with the arts for future projects. The Grundy Art Gallery, Williamson Art Gallery and Museum and Chapel Gallery will benefit from enhanced engagement from regional communities and increased footfall from disadvantaged groups who would not normally access such spaces.
Environmental groups and charities who want to involve communities in appreciating and connecting with their local environment will benefit from receiving the final versions of the resources for conducting workshops, and being empowered to continue their environmental work.
The focus on landscape and the natural environment will give adults, children and young people opportunities to experience the outdoor environment close to where they live, enabling the related well-documented benefits to health and well-being. This research will benefit diverse groups by recognising their importance as co-producers of knowledge about land and landscape.
The project also goes beyond human stakeholder groups and acknowledges that other species shape the landscape and have interests in its use. Species other than humans are considered stakeholders in this project and through multispecies storytelling both human and more-than-human stakeholders are given a voice. This is intended to support local community empowerment, acknowledge the importance of biodiversity to landscape, and inform future decision-making processes that rely on understanding the non-monetary values attached to land, landscape and the species who inhabit them.
Land owners and organisations such as the National Trust, National Autistic Society, Burscough Community Farm, Wildfowl and Wetland Trust, and Natural England will benefit from being able to access the views and contributions of marginalised groups presented in accessible ways, when engaged in making decisions. They will also have access to methods for conducting their own research with marginalised groups when considering new projects or initiatives.
Artists using a wide range of modes and media (poets, creative writers, artists, storytellers, song-writers) will be employed by the groups. This will strengthen community bonds with the arts for future projects. The Grundy Art Gallery, Williamson Art Gallery and Museum and Chapel Gallery will benefit from enhanced engagement from regional communities and increased footfall from disadvantaged groups who would not normally access such spaces.
Environmental groups and charities who want to involve communities in appreciating and connecting with their local environment will benefit from receiving the final versions of the resources for conducting workshops, and being empowered to continue their environmental work.
Organisations
- Edge Hill University (Lead Research Organisation)
- Rusland Horizons Trust Ltd (Collaboration)
- Art Gene Limited (Collaboration)
- Natural England (Collaboration)
- Furness College (Collaboration)
- The National Autistic Society (Project Partner)
- Natural England (Project Partner)
- Williamson Art Gallery (Project Partner)
- Chapel Gallery (Project Partner)
- Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (Project Partner)
Publications

Satchwell C
(2024)
Conversations across international divides: Children learning through empathy about climate change
in Geographical Research

Satchwell C
(2024)
Being Flamingos and Trees: Marginalized Groups Respond to Landscapes Using Inclusive Multimodal Literacies and Arts
in Qualitative Inquiry
Title | Allotment Soup workshop |
Description | A short film about the arts based workshops that were run at Allotment Soup as part of the project |
Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Impact | none yet- only recently completed |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OKgLr3Z1-A |
Title | Burscough Community Farm Workshop |
Description | A short film about the participatory arts workshops that were held at Burscough Community Farm |
Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Impact | None yet- only recently completed |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsNBfp8pykw&t=3s |
Title | Cabinet of mugs and paper cloth |
Description | Mugs, ceramic paint, paper tablecloths and maker pens. dimensions - 50cm x 35 cm x 41cm height (Perspex cabinet). |
Type Of Art | Artwork |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Impact | Part of a touring exhibition that generated public discussion about nature, landscape and other species |
URL | https://fromthelandtothesky.org/artworks/maddi-nicholson/ |
Title | Exhibition - 'From the land to the sky' at five different venues |
Description | Exhibition of artefacts created during the project. |
Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Impact | The exhibitions were held in two art galleries, two nature reserves and a community library Audiences included project participants and local communities, councillors and representatives from Natural England (Defra). Feedback collected from exhibitions indicated very positive reactions to the artworks, the involvement of marginalised groups in creating these artworks, and a raised awareness of the importance of the natural world for local communities. |
URL | https://fromthelandtothesky.org/ |
Title | From the Land to the Sky |
Description | A touring exhibition of works co-produced by participants and artists as a result of multispecies workshops held at outdoor locations. |
Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Impact | Participants reported changes to the ways they thought about animals and landscapes. 87% of visitor feedback stated that the exhibition had made them think about local landscapes, other species and nature. |
URL | https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=564872455233415&set=basw.AbpiDz5Ljkwp-eVu9-axXp6LOXqLdGf2ZDRIum... |
Title | Gorse Hill Workshop |
Description | A short film that gives an overview of the arts based workshops held at Gorse Hill Nature Reserve as part of the project |
Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Impact | None yet- only recently completed |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DUmWRMNcd8&t=3s |
Title | Here in this place: each keeping each afloat; |
Description | Mixed Media, Wood, Wood dye, Needle felted wool, Paper mâché, plant pots, string and rope. Approximately 60cm wide x 120cm long 150cm tall. |
Type Of Art | Artwork |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Impact | The artwork was part of a touring exhibition attended by the general public, representatives from Natural England, RSPB and decision-makers. |
URL | https://fromthelandtothesky.org/artworks/austin-mitchel-hewitt/ |
Title | If we were a forest |
Description | Video installation |
Type Of Art | Artwork |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Impact | The artwork was part of a touring exhibition which was attended by the public, representatives from Natural England, RSPB, and local decision makers. |
URL | https://fromthelandtothesky.org/artworks/lou-chapelle/ |
Title | Journey Words of birds and humans |
Description | Mixed media: paper, thread, wire, pigment and wax. Nine 15cm x15cm box frames (with string hanging). 1x basket holding paper straws, compasses (attached to the basket with string). |
Type Of Art | Artwork |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Impact | The artwork was part of a touring exhibition attended by the general public, representatives from Natural England, RSPB and decision-makers. |
URL | https://fromthelandtothesky.org/artworks/claire-dean/ |
Title | Martin Mere Workshop |
Description | A short film that gives an overview of the workshops held at Martin Mere WWT as part of the project |
Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Impact | None yet- only recently completed |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OlSjuwJqeQ&t=4s |
Title | Project workshops |
Description | A short film that gives an overview of the arts based participatory workshops that have been held during the project |
Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Impact | Only recently completed so none yet |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDl-xRdLbP8&t=3s |
Title | The Last Supper |
Description | linen tablecloth, and willow patterned crockery, embroidery, and a kitchen table. Dimensions 91cm X 80cm height table 75cm (with crockery on top = 80cm height). |
Type Of Art | Artwork |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Impact | The artwork was part of a touring exhibition attended by the general public, representatives from Natural England, RSPB and decision-makers. |
URL | https://fromthelandtothesky.org/artworks/maddi-nicholson/ |
Title | Your home is ours |
Description | Mixed media installation |
Type Of Art | Artwork |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Impact | The artwork was part of a touring exhibition attended by the general public, representatives from Natural England, RSPB and decision-makers. |
URL | https://fromthelandtothesky.org/artworks/sue-flowers/ |
Description | Multisensory multispecies arts based methods can be used effectively to: -elicit public responses to decision making impacting landscape and other species; -encourage public identification with other species as stakeholders in landscape decision processes; -encourage greater interest in nature, other species and landscapes. Multisensory multispecies arts based methods enhanced sense of community with humans and other species Multisensory multispecies arts based approaches impacted aesthetic sensibilities of participants |
Exploitation Route | Employ multisensory multispecies art-based practices and methods to encourage greater public awareness and identification with issues relating to biodiversity, climate change, and landscape decision making. These methods can also be used for elicitation and in situations where there is a nature-related conflict. |
Sectors | Creative Economy Environment Leisure Activities including Sports Recreation and Tourism Government Democracy and Justice |
Description | Encouraged new engagement with local green spaces by groups who would not usually access those spaces. Feedback to Natural England on access to green spaces/nature reserves for people with mobility issues. Local decision-makers from councils engaged with the outcomes from the project and listened to voices who are usually marginalised. |
First Year Of Impact | 2022 |
Sector | Environment,Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism |
Impact Types | Societal |
Description | Forming a young advisory group for the children's people and nature survey |
Amount | £14,900 (GBP) |
Organisation | Natural England |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 01/2023 |
End | 06/2023 |
Title | Co-created artistic outputs |
Description | Artists worked directly with groups of marginalised young people to create artworks to represent their responses to landscapes. |
Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
Year Produced | 2023 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | Yet to be confirmed |
URL | https://fromthelandtothesky.org |
Description | Art Gene |
Organisation | Art Gene Limited |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | Curated, commissioned and co-produced the touring exhibition From the Land to the Sky |
Collaborator Contribution | Hosted private viewings and an opening for the exhibition |
Impact | Public exhibition and private viewings for decision makers from local council |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | Furness College |
Organisation | Furness College |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Ran a workshop with an artist and students from Furness College to co-produce artworks |
Collaborator Contribution | Helped to recruit participants for the workshop |
Impact | Your home is ours artwork |
Start Year | 2021 |
Description | Natural England Ainsdale exhibition |
Organisation | Natural England |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | The team collaborated with Natural England to tour the project's 'From the Land to the Sky' exhibition to nature reserves as part of the 70th anniversary celebrations and events in 2022. |
Collaborator Contribution | Natural England provided exhibition space and staff to assist with the install and deinstallation of the exhibition |
Impact | Public exhibition |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | Rusland |
Organisation | Rusland Horizons Trust Ltd |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | Organised and ran workshops with artist and participants from Furness College |
Collaborator Contribution | Provided guided walk in Glass Knot Wood, Cumbria. |
Impact | Your home is ours artwork |
Start Year | 2021 |
Description | Allotment Soup workshops |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Six young people took part in an arts based participatory workshop run by Art Gene. The workshops provoked discussion about the relationship between animals and the landscape. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://sites.edgehill.ac.uk/multisensorymultispecies/workshops/ |
Description | Arts based workshops Martin Mere WWT |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | 8 deaf children from Royal Cross Primary School took part in arts based participatory workshops run by artist, Claire Dean. The workshops sparked discussion about the wildlife in the area and the children's feelings about the landscape. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://sites.edgehill.ac.uk/multisensorymultispecies/workshops/ |
Description | Burscough Community Farm workshops |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Community Farm users attended arts based participatory workshops run by artist Austin Hewitt. The workshops resulted in discussion about the animals in the landscape and the effects of climate change on the landscape through flooding. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://sites.edgehill.ac.uk/multisensorymultispecies/workshops/ |
Description | Communicate Conference 2021 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
Results and Impact | Candice Satchwell took part in a panel at the Communicate Conference 2021, run by the Natural History Consortium. A wide audience attended for a discussion about the difficulties and importance of engaging young people in natural environments. The event led to a request to bid for a tender with Natural England to investigate children's perspectives on quality in natural environments. This bid was successful. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saf9ohObYlE |
Description | Conference presentation |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | A presentation at the UKLA conference attended by researchers and practitioners in literacy and education. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://ukla.org/event/international-conference-2022/ |
Description | Conference presentations |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Presentation on multispecies methods to a mixed group of academics , artists and scientists that prompted discussion |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://le.ac.uk/news/2023/september/land-management |
Description | Exhibition |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Touring exhibition open to the general public from May- November 2022 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://fromthelandtothesky.org/ |
Description | From the Land to the Sky website |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | The website hosts a set of materials to guide individuals and organisations on how to use art based approaches to engage with groups and communities on issues connected to landscape |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022,2023 |
URL | https://fromthelandtothesky.org/how-to/ |
Description | Gorse Hill Nature Reserve Workshops |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
Results and Impact | 18 adults with learning difficulties (Learning Stars) took part in arts based participatory workshops at Gorse Hill Nature Reserve run by artist, Laurence Payot. The workshops sparked engagement with ideas about the space, the landscape, how the participants felt about it and the animals that inhabit it. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://sites.edgehill.ac.uk/multisensorymultispecies/workshops/ |
Description | Meeting with college leaders |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | A meeting with college leadership team to demonstrate the impact of the project on their students' skills and knowledge, and to discuss future possibilities for collaboration in research. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Multisensory multispecies storytelling introductory video |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Creation of an video for the Landscape Decisions YouTube channel to introduce the project and outline the objectives |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgOgW-ULg98&list=PLrlZ6FipN5mlo3kj8f-eKGVcc9Mfa2576&index=3 |
Description | Presentation at UKRI Landscape Decisions event |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | The event was designed to bring together projects from the Landscape Decisions programme. The audience was both in person and online. Links were made with other researchers, with policymakers, business, and third sector organisations. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PglOAUItZVo |
Description | UKRI Festival of Tomorrow |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | A virtual presence at the Festival of Tomorrow (UKRI) on February 25-26, 2022. The booth was entitled 'Engaging children and young people in research about the natural environment through creative arts'. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.festivaloftomorrow.com/ |
Description | Website |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Creation of a project website to reach a variety of audiences |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | https://sites.edgehill.ac.uk/multisensorymultispecies/ |