Tipping Points: Cultural responses to wilding and land sharing in the North of England

Lead Research Organisation: University of Leeds
Department Name: School of English

Abstract

Tipping Points is envisaged as a second follow-on from the AHRC-funded Land Lines project (2017-2019), one of the principal aims of which was to use modern British nature writing to stimulate greater engagement with the natural world. The first follow-on, which recently began, plays on the nature we cannot see because it is mostly hidden from us; the second one also plays on what we cannot see, but in this case because it is no longer with us, or has yet to return. In the UK today, up to a third of mammals and a half of birds are threatened with extinction, largely because their habitats have been eroded to the point where they are no longer able to sustain themselves. Such tipping points, as they are popularly known, have potentially devastating consequences, but there are also positive examples. One such example consists of the various so-called 'wilding' or 'rewilding' initiatives through which British agricultural landscapes are being creatively managed so as to encourage the resurgence of wildlife. Such restoration processes are as much cultural as they are natural, and if nature is to bounce back in ways that are urgently needed to sustain our own as well as other, non-human animals' existences, the arts have a crucial role to play in stimulating both creative responses to the current crisis and alternative ways of imagining the natural world.

Tipping Points, like its two immediate predecessors, is an arts-based project that aims to raise public awareness of the current environmental crisis, but also to intervene in contemporary conservation initiatives, such as re/wilding, that posit a more hopeful future for our increasingly diminished natural world. More specifically, the project aims to use the creative arts to show the meanings and values at work in landscape decision-making processes in which farmers, in particular, stand accused by many conservationists (and conservation-minded nature writers) of violating the biodiversity that is supposedly in their care. A more nuanced view is needed than this, and more inclusive involvement in such decision-making processes - hence the project's arts-inspired gathering together of different stakeholders and communities: those who own and/or cultivate the land; those who are dedicated to its sustainable management; and those members of the public whose experience and knowledge of it is not always adequately communicated or sufficiently shared.

Tipping Points proposes a series of open-to-the-public writing and visual arts workshops organized around three sites in the North of England - Wild Ennerdale, Castle Howard Estate, and Stirley Community Farm - that represent re/wilding projects of different sizes and scales that operate in different kinds of natural and cultural environments, and that provide excellent opportunities for arts-based public engagement activities involving an equally wide range of participants that cuts across socially constructed boundaries of race, gender, and class. All three sites currently face major decisions about the use and management of land, and all are open to the integration of arts and humanities perspectives into such decision-making processes, recognizing that such perspectives and the activities they inspire may help reach people who might not otherwise engage with the countryside and/or the natural world. In staging these workshops, each led by an experienced practitioner in the field, we aim to reach out to new audiences - e.g. BAME communities in northern England - whose voices are rarely heard and whose experiences of nature are rarely accounted for. We also aim to hold a major symposium on land sharing that, in bringing together farmers, conservation experts, and humanities scholars/practitioners, will look to create common ground for land management practices in which landscapes are viewed holistically and the decisions surrounding them are opened up in accordance with the broad democratic imperatives of the creative arts.

Planned Impact

Impacts associated with the project will be both social, in terms of democratizing landscape decisions and raising public awareness of the issues bound up in them; and economic, in terms of widening access to (and participation in) British natural and cultural heritage sites.

In terms of social impact, the project's emphasis on engagement events aims explicitly to open up current debates around land management to a variety of individuals and communities who have rarely seen themselves as stakeholders in such debates or, if they have, have not necessarily been listened to. BAME communities, for example, are often mistakenly seen as purely city-based or uninterested in 'nature' at large, while conservation advocates in the UK - including nature writers and other creative practitioners - are still (with some notable exceptions) predominantly white and middle class. Other voices are needed in conservation debates, and the arts - and the imagination more generally - can play an important role in attracting new participants. These participants also stand to benefit both individually by (1) taking pride in their own achievements, and (2) taking stock of their attitudes to a natural world that it is in their own interests - in everyone's interests - to appreciate and conserve.

The project's creative workshops, as well as providing the inspiration to try out new ideas, are designed to encourage new or historically under-represented communities to access 'wilded' sites and develop understandings of their changes over time. While it is too early to tell what impact these workshops and the artwork produced by them might have for other stakeholders involved in landscape decisions (landowners, farmers and others who work the land, government agencies, etc.), the basic idea is to extend the range of people potentially involved in such decision-making processes while also emphasizing the different meanings and values bound up in them - and the different meanings and values bound up in such concepts as 'nature' and 'natural heritage'; 'the countryside' and 'the wild'.

One set of meanings and values is primarily economic, and while the project will look to go beyond narrowly instrumental views of what nature is worth, it recognizes at the same time that Britain's natural/cultural landscapes require collective investment if they are to remain profitable for those whose lives and livelihoods depend on them. Consequently, one aim of the project is to raise awareness of the benefits of the countryside for collective well-being and health as well as the commercial advantages it brings to those who live and work there.

Last but not least, the project will look to effect change in the ways in which particular landscapes are seen and acted upon, especially within a re/wilding context in which land is seen beyond its usefulness to those who own it, and possibilities - both material and symbolic - are explored for it to be shared. One possible change will be for farmers and conservationists - so often at loggerheads with one another - to come to a greater understanding of the need to work together in the interest of protecting natural assets; another will be for private landowners to come to a greater realization of the importance of involving the public in the decisions that affect their property.

Our symposium at Castle Howard, in particular, will bring these different stakeholders together as the first step in developing a sustainable supportive network. In this and other ways, the project will seek to respond to a time - a tipping point - when more people need to be involved in landscape decisions that directly affect their own sense of well-being, and more habitats must be restored to those at risk of losing them forever - those animals, both domestic and wild, on whose lives we often depend far more than we know.

Publications

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Title Newland 
Description Newland is a short documentary film in which a Yorkshire-based father-and-son farmer combination share their insights into the effects of climate change on the farming business. Co-produced by the Tipping Points creative director Suzie Cross and local filmmaker Dave Lynch, the film won first prize at the 2021 AHRC Research in Film Awards in the Climate Emergency Category. 
Type Of Art Film/Video/Animation 
Year Produced 2021 
Impact See above: the film won an award in the 2021 AHRC Research in Film competition, and has since been shown at several different venues in the UK. 
URL http://landlineswordpress.com
 
Description Tipping Points was a follow-on project, and therefore concerned not so much with producing original research as with putting previous research to creative ends. The project built on research from the previous Land Lines project (see separate entry) to show the benefits of increased environmental literacy for different constituencies and audiences. In this particular case, the focus was on 'wilding' and land sharing seen in the context of northern England, and the public conversations around this, several of them mediated by artistic products -- including an award-winning film -- and creative workshops, also took in the social and environmental effects of climate change. Work funded by the award led to the establishment of sustainable working partnership with various regional cultural organizations, including Wild Ennerdale, Stirley Community Farm, and Castle Howard Estate, while its Slow Conversations component, which put farmers in dialogue with environmentalists, showed that there was significantly more common ground between them than is often presumed to the the case.
Exploitation Route The alliance with Castle Howard, in particular, may well provide a platform for future projects in, for example, the cultural heritage and environment sectors, while the Slow Conversations dialogues between farmers and environmentalists certainly deserve to be followed up.
Sectors Creative Economy

Education

Environment

Culture

Heritage

Museums and Collections

URL https://landlinesproject.wordpress.com
 
Description Tipping Points was a second Yorkshire-based follow-on project embedded in Land Lines research. The project revolved around contemporary conservation and land-use initiatives, with a key role being played by the Castle Howard Estate (CHE). The estate, a major cultural heritage attraction, recently committed itself to the rewilding of some of its land, and former Land Lines researchers, notably Marland and the project's artistic director Suzie Cross, produced a series of art-based activities designed to draw attention to these new conservation initiatives and the democratizing principles on which they are based (for example the idea, explored in Marland's research, that even privately owned land can at least in part be shared). As with the first follow-on project (Nature Writing Beyond the Page), these activities were designed to consolidate conservation work at the estate and other fledgling rewilding sites while also expanding the demographic involved in it. Further Marland and Cross-facilitated work included a series of so-called 'slow conversations' between farmers, environmentalists, and creatives. These conversations have been viewed/heard multiple times on the project website (https://landlinesproject.wordpress.com), which continues to generate a lot of traffic many years after the original Land Lines project came to an end (see separate Land Lines entry). Allied to the conversations was an award-winning documentary film co-produced by Cross, featuring a Yorkshire father-and-son farmer combination talking about their work in the context of climate change (see separate entry on recognition and awards). The film has since been seen at various venues nationwide.
First Year Of Impact 2020
Sector Creative Economy,Education,Environment,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections
Impact Types Cultural

Societal

 
Description Collaboration on nature writing and visual arts workshops (related to ideas of wilding) with the Castle Howard Estate 
Organisation Castle Howard Estate Ltd
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution During the first phase of the project, members of the Tipping Points research team and our artistic director, Suzie Cross, met on a number of occasions with the Howard family and the Estate curator Dr Chris Ridgway to discuss their intention to carry out some 'wilding' of their estate grounds. After that, the input of the research team involved encouraging Castle Howard to think about the cultural impacts of such land use change, based on our research into the theme of wilding and regenerative farming in contemporary nature writing. A further aim, since realized, was to propose some creative writing and art workshops to raise public awareness of biodiversity initiatives and, by sharing their creative responses with the Estate, to enable them to reflect on the value and meaning of the surrounding landscape. In order to refashion the workshops for online delivery, our artistic director Suzie Cross oversaw the production of a package of digital materials including interviews with Chris Ridgway and the gamekeeper, filmed walks, and photographs. The workshops were eventually delivered online on January 13th and February 13th, 2021, and were well received in both cases.
Collaborator Contribution The input of Castle Howard was lessened by the continuation of lockdown conditions during much of the official grant period. They had originally offered the in-kind contribution of letting us use the premises for a symposium bringing together farmers, conservationists, and arts and humanities practitioners. However, as noted above, we managed to meet with Castle Howard personnel several times, and they shared information with us about the natural and cultural history of the Estate, and, in preparation for the workshops, let us make interviews and films in situ. As noted above, two online creative workshops based on this collaboration were successfully delivered in January and February 2021, respectively. Castle Howard (CH) was a full partner in these workshops, contributing ideas to initial discussions, and benefiting in terms of the creative insights gained into the history, geography and ecology of the Estate.
Impact As noted above, a creative workshop (visual arts) took place on 30th January 2021, while a second (nature writing) took place on 13th February 2021. These workshops were put into creative conversation with the history, geography and ecology of the estate. Led by professional artists (including Co-I Judy Tucker) and writers, the workshops were delivered online, using digital materials devised and created by the research team and workshop leaders. Together with similar workshops held in association with Stirley Community Farm and Wild Ennerdale (see separate entries), the workshops were attended by around 90 people in total. Workshop materials were subsequently made freely available to the public on the Land Lines website and have since been viewed over 1000 times. An online exhibition was curated and posted online to showcase work from the live workshops. This has been viewed over 600 times.
Start Year 2020
 
Description Collaboration on nature writing and visual arts workshops (related to wilding) with Stirley Community Farm (Yorkshire Wildlife Trust) 
Organisation The Wildlife Trusts
Department Yorkshire Wildlife Trust
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution In the first phase of the project, ideas for a series of nature writing and visual arts workshops were developed. The workshops, due to take place at Stirley Community Farm (also Wild Ennerdale and Castle Howard Estate), revolved around the idea of land use change and the implementation of farming practices designed to foster biodiversity (i.e., forms of wilding). Activities were designed to raise public awareness of measures being implemented by the Wildlife Trust but also, through soliciting creative responses, to share with project partners a sense of the cultural impacts of their work. While the pandemic first delayed these activities, then necessitated them going online, the team was nonetheless able to deliver the workshops in the period between January and March 2021.
Collaborator Contribution An online package of workshop materials was created under the artistic direction of Suzie Cross. These included filmed talks by the Stirley Farm manager about current wilding initiatives.
Impact Synchronous creative (nature writing and visual arts) workshops were held in association with Stirley Community Farm on 20th and 27th February 2021. The workshops were led by professional artists (including Co-I Judy Tucker) and writers and delivered online, using digital materials devised and created by the research team and workshop leaders. Together with similar events held in association with Wild Ennerdale and Castle Howard Estate, the workshops were attended by around 90 people in total. The workshop materials were subsequently made freely available to the public on the Land Lines website and have since been viewed over 1000 times. An online exhibition was curated and posted online to showcase work from the live workshops, This has been viewed over 600 times.
Start Year 2020
 
Description Collaboration with Northern Heartlands 
Organisation Northern Heartlands
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution In collaboration with Northern Heartlands, the 'Tipping Points' team ran an online 'slow conversation' for farmers, conservationists and arts and humanities practitioners. T
Collaborator Contribution Northern Heartlands were a full partner in the collaboration, which was the result of discussions with the 'Tipping Points' team over an extended period.
Impact See above re. online 'slow conversation' for farmers, conservationists and arts and humanities practitioners. The conversation was not made public at the time, though excerpts with permission have now been uploaded to an open-access site. The conversation was further curated into a film which was launched to an online audience of 100 people and has since been viewed on YouTube 650 times. A second film, 'Nuclear Legacies: Nuclear Energy and Farming Landscapes in Cumbria' (featuring an interview with a farmer in the Lake District), was created in collaboration with artist duo somewhere-nowhere. The article and video have been viewed 200 times. Finally, a third film, 'Newland: New Vision for a Wilder Future' was commissioned by the research team and produced by artistic director Suzie Cross. This film has been viewed over 800 times on YouTube and won the 2021 AHRC RIFA Best Climate Emergency Film prize.
Start Year 2020
 
Description Somewhere-Nowhere 
Organisation Somewhere-Nowhere
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution In conjunction with what had originally been planned as its two Wild Ennerdale workshops, the Tipping Points team worked together with the Cumbria-based artistic engagement organization Somewhere-Nowhere, which eventually ran a single online workshop, based on originally planned themes, in early February 2021.
Collaborator Contribution The workshop, which also produced a package of digital materials that will be released for public use in March, was very well received, with participants reporting changed views on its main themes: wilding and other forms of land use.
Impact There are no major impacts as yet, but as reported above the workshop participants reported changed attitudes to wilding and other land-use initiatives. The package of digital materials produced in conjunction with the workshop will be made available to the public in March, so a more general attitudinal shift is possible.
Start Year 2020
 
Description 'Pen & Plough' writing workshops and online exhibition 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact 'The 'Pen & Plough' creative writing workshops, designed for land workers, ran for six weeks from 14th March to 25th April 2021. Led by professional writers, the workshops were attended by a group of 12. The workshops afforded an opportunity for those working on the land to communicate their experiences of doing so, both for their own benefit and, later, for a general public granted access (with their permission) to their work. The resulting online exhibition of materials from the workshops has attracted over 1000 views.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://landlinesproject.wordpress.com
 
Description Blog 
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 The blog on the Land Lines website, which is still active at the time of writing (February 2022), has attracted a large number and wide range of contributions, both from those affiliated with the project and from members of the general public who, tuning in to its activities, have felt inspired to try out writing of their own, many of them for the first time.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020,2021,2022,2023
URL https://landlinesproject.wordpress.com
 
Description Castle Howard online nature writing and visual arts workshop 
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 Two writing and art workshops were held on January 13th, 2021 and February 13th, respectively, in association with Castle Howard Estate. The workshops involved 20 participants in a visual arts workshop and 20 participants in a nature writing workshop. In 100% positive feedback, participants reported having gained a greater understanding of wilding and the initiatives planned for the Castle Howard Estate; motivation to engage with the landscape in person; and inspiration to develop their creative work. Participants also reported the event as having been beneficial to their mental health in the context of lockdown. The Castle Howard workshops were among five workshops co-organized by the Tipping Points team in association with various project partners, and designed to shed light on, and respond creatively to, (re)wilding initiative in the North. Materials from these workshops, attended by a total of 90 people, were subsequently made freely available to the public on the Land Lines website and have since been viewed over 1000 times. An online exhibition was curated and posted online to showcase work from the workshops, and this has been viewed over 600 times.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://landlinesproject.wordpress.com/
 
Description Nature writing and visual arts workshop Wild Ennerdale 
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 On February 6th, 2021, an online writing and art workshop was held in association with Wild Ennerdale. This was a very well-received combined nature writing/visual arts workshop for 20 people, run by the Cumbria-based artistic engagement company Somewhere-Nowhere in conjunction with the Tipping Points team. Participants reported changed views on wilding and other forms of land use, the two main themes of the workshop. This was one of five workshops co-organized by the Tipping Points team in association with various project partners, and designed to shed light on, and respond creatively to, (re)wilding initiative in the North. Materials from these workshops, attended by a total of 90 people, were subsequently made freely available to the public on the Land Lines website and have since been viewed over 1000 times. An online exhibition was curated and posted online to showcase work from the live workshops, and this has been viewed over 600 times.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://landlinesproject.wordpress.com/
 
Description Visual Arts Workshop - Stirley Community Farm 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact 20 members of the public attended an online visual arts workshop based on the landscape of Stirley Community Farm, a Yorkshire Wildlife Trust site near Huddersfield. The workshop sparked discussion of wilding and regenerative farming as well as stimulating artistic responses to ideas of increased biodversity.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021