Creative Peninsula
Lead Research Organisation:
UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
Department Name: Modern Languages
Abstract
Creative Peninsula is conceived as a new model of cultural partnership across Devon and Cornwall, increasing access and exchange between urban and rural communities, whilst celebrating the region's distinctive landscape and Atlantic coastline, and exploring its complex histories, through site-specific, socially engaged arts programming, connecting people and places across the South West Peninsula. Working closely with local authorities, museums and arts organisations, this collaborative knowledge exchange project builds on the existing AHRC-funded research project, Outside the Box, looking into the practicability of socially distanced 'in-person' assembly for open air arts events, responding to challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, whilst promoting health and wellbeing through increased connection to green spaces and public engagement with the environment.
Creative Peninsula also grows out of a strategic partnership between Exeter City Council and University of Exeter entitled Creative Arc, focused on culture-led regeneration and place-making in the city and its rural surroundings, acting as a catalyst for local economic development and social change. By expanding this approach to the region, University of Exeter will aim to build on close working relationships with local authorities and arts agencies developed around it's Devon and Cornwall campuses, as well as activating its network of arts and heritage organisations, including those national and regional partner organisations with which it has Memoranda of Understanding.
The theme of place in Devon and Cornwall will be explored further in the light of a series of recent pilot projects, presenting site-specific arts commissioning in Plymouth, Torbay and West Cornwall, and the award of UNESCO City of Literature status to Exeter. As an exemplar of partnership working, Torbay and Exeter have recently submitted a joint bid for UK City of Culture 2025, and a key part of this proposal is the connection between culture, the public realm, outdoors and the natural environment. Taken together, these initiatives signal a unique opportunity to establish closer partnership working in Devon and Cornwall, focused on culture-led regeneration and place-making, with potential legacies such as an on-going collaborative knowledge exchange network, shared programmes of arts commissioning in the public realm and a new international arts festival across the South West Peninsula.
Creative Peninsula also grows out of a strategic partnership between Exeter City Council and University of Exeter entitled Creative Arc, focused on culture-led regeneration and place-making in the city and its rural surroundings, acting as a catalyst for local economic development and social change. By expanding this approach to the region, University of Exeter will aim to build on close working relationships with local authorities and arts agencies developed around it's Devon and Cornwall campuses, as well as activating its network of arts and heritage organisations, including those national and regional partner organisations with which it has Memoranda of Understanding.
The theme of place in Devon and Cornwall will be explored further in the light of a series of recent pilot projects, presenting site-specific arts commissioning in Plymouth, Torbay and West Cornwall, and the award of UNESCO City of Literature status to Exeter. As an exemplar of partnership working, Torbay and Exeter have recently submitted a joint bid for UK City of Culture 2025, and a key part of this proposal is the connection between culture, the public realm, outdoors and the natural environment. Taken together, these initiatives signal a unique opportunity to establish closer partnership working in Devon and Cornwall, focused on culture-led regeneration and place-making, with potential legacies such as an on-going collaborative knowledge exchange network, shared programmes of arts commissioning in the public realm and a new international arts festival across the South West Peninsula.
| Title | BRIDGIT by Charlotte Prodger, at CAST (Helston), 24 October - 22 December 2023 |
| Description | An exhibition by the artist, Charlotte Prodger of her Turner Prize-winning film, BRIDGIT, at CAST in Helston (a small country town on the Lizard, Cornwall) reflecting on the notion of 'queer ruralities' and the subject of identity, and the artist's own experience of what it is to be queer in a remote, rural environment. |
| Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | Alongside the exhibition we collaborated on a series of workshops with young people from the Young and Yourself programme led by the Intercom Trust in Cornwall and Devon. |
| URL | https://creativepeninsula.org/programme/charlotte-prodger-bridgit |
| Title | Field Day |
| Description | Commissioned performance engaging with outdoor cultures of the region. Love Land community garden, Penryn. Performance created by Katie Etheridge and Simon Persighetti with the community of growers. |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Impact | The artists summarise the impacts as follows: 'The Loveland Project is part of a wider project under the wing of Falmouth Food Co-operative and in 2022 began to supply its first harvests directly to the Co-operative's Kitchen where food is prepared for initiatives such as a free meals scheme, a community café and the direct marketing of locally grown produce. However, the field is owned by a major church institution and administered by a long-established land agent. This means that the land is currently available to the co-operative on a short-term (5-Year) lease and will need political, moral and practical support in order to survive as a long-term initiative. It is significant for example that during the period of devising Field Day we have witnessed, on the other side of the Penryn river valley, a large tract of farmland being bulldozed by a local developer. The church glebe land itself was subject to a failed building Planning Application in recent years and this means that the Food Co-op have to keep a wary eye on the local planning agenda. We hope that this Field Day performance may have improved the profile and public awareness of this quite utopian but realistic and innovative community venture. This is evidenced by the range of people who came to the event who were not familiar with Loveland, its multiple projects and its potential. The direct invitation to the event and the careful hosting of the audience as well as the content of the performance was consciously presented to tell the story of the land and the ambitions of this Community Garden.' |
| URL | https://creativepeninsula.org/programme/field-day |
| Title | Salmon Run |
| Description | A community relay event designed to celebrate the epic journey of the Atlantic Salmon from the ocean to spawning grounds, and highlighting the man-made barriers along the way, taking place along the banks of the River Exe on 25/9/2022. The Salmon Run was a 50-mile relay that travelled upriver from Exmouth, passing through the city of Exeter, and culminating at Tarr Steps on Exmoor - echoing the migration undertaken by the fish to their spawning grounds. |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Impact | This was developed as a collaboration with Tidelines, Wild Runnings, Exeter City Council and the Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter. It was a very popular participatory event for runners, including young families, and the potential of this becoming an annual community event it is already being considered. |
| URL | https://creativepeninsula.org/programme/salmon-run |
| Title | Salmon Run 2023 |
| Description | A community relay event designed to celebrate the epic journey of the Atlantic Salmon from the ocean to spawning grounds, and highlighting the man-made barriers along the way, taking place along the banks of the River Exe on 24/9/2023. The Salmon Run was a 50-mile relay that travelled upriver from Exmouth, passing through the city of Exeter, and culminating at Tarr Steps on Exmoor - echoing the migration undertaken by the fish to their spawning grounds. |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | A new Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) entitled Friends of the River Exe (FORE) was formed, hosted by Transition Exmouth, building on the work of Tidelines and the impact of Salmon Run. |
| URL | https://creativepeninsula.org/programme/salmon-run-2023 |
| Title | Who Do You Think Should Save Us? |
| Description | Commissioned performance, engaged with outdoor cultures of the region. This was day-long performance taking place on Exmouth Beach. A short film was made as an output. Artists commissioned were Jane Mason, Grace Surman and Gary Winters. |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Impact | As a result of this commission, two of the artists were invited and funded to mentor our other commissioned artist team. |
| URL | https://creativepeninsula.org/programme/who-do-you-think-should-save-us |
| Description | The Creative Peninsula is a knowledge exchange project focused on delivering a number of activities with non-academic partners in Devon and Cornwall. The project has: - Commissioned a series of three site-specific outdoor performances, exploring the potential for using outdoor spaces as part of environmentally focused, post-pandemic recovery - Organised a two-day summit as the starting point for a new network of artists, arts professionals and local authorities in the SW region As part of a funded extension, we have also conducted research with arts and culture partners in the region to investigate creative placemaking and culture-led regeneration, and how Creative Peninsula (and university researchers more broadly) can work with partners to achieve this. This research will be published as a report on our website by the end of March 2023. |
| Exploitation Route | We are hoping that the results of our Creative Peninsula report will give rise to a series of recommendations (a) for approaches to creative placemaking and culture-led regeneration projects in Devon and Cornwall specifically, but with some findings applicable to any geographical location; and (b) for building partnerships between HEIs and the cultural sector. |
| Sectors | Creative Economy Leisure Activities including Sports Recreation and Tourism Culture Heritage Museums and Collections |
| URL | http://www.creativepeninsula.org |
| Description | A community network has formed in Exmouth, partly as a result of the impact of the Salmon Run commission in 2022. This helped lead to the formation of a new Friends of the River Exe group, with a second Salmon Run taking place in 2023 with increased participation. It is anticipated that this will continue as an annual community event. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2022 |
| Sector | Creative Economy,Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Impact Types | Cultural |
| Description | AHRC IAA Fund |
| Amount | £5,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | 4410390 |
| Organisation | University of Exeter |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2023 |
| End | 02/2024 |
| Description | Seed fund |
| Amount | £9,876 (GBP) |
| Organisation | National Trust |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2023 |
| End | 02/2024 |
| Description | Creative Peninsula partnership board |
| Organisation | Cornwall Council |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Creative Peninsula has convened a steering group of arts organisations and local authorities working together on local arts and cultural policy and shaping the Creative Peninsula programme. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Partner organisations have provided representation on the Creative Peninsula steering group and participation in meetings including the Creative Peninsula summit, held on 18-19 November. |
| Impact | No outputs as yet. |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Creative Peninsula partnership board |
| Organisation | Cornwall Museums Partnership |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Creative Peninsula has convened a steering group of arts organisations and local authorities working together on local arts and cultural policy and shaping the Creative Peninsula programme. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Partner organisations have provided representation on the Creative Peninsula steering group and participation in meetings including the Creative Peninsula summit, held on 18-19 November. |
| Impact | No outputs as yet. |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Creative Peninsula partnership board |
| Organisation | Exeter City Council |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Creative Peninsula has convened a steering group of arts organisations and local authorities working together on local arts and cultural policy and shaping the Creative Peninsula programme. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Partner organisations have provided representation on the Creative Peninsula steering group and participation in meetings including the Creative Peninsula summit, held on 18-19 November. |
| Impact | No outputs as yet. |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Eden Project collaboration |
| Organisation | The Eden Project |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | The Creative Peninsula team worked with Eden Project to design and deliver the Creative Peninsula summit, 18-19 November 2022. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Eden Project's curator, Hannah Hooks, led a tour of the 'Super Natural' exhibition for Summit delegates. Hannah Hooks also worked with the Creative Peninsula project team from an early stage to shape the Summit programme. Eden Project provided funding (agreed within terms of the University of Exeter's MOU with Eden) to give artists bursaries to attend the Summit. |
| Impact | Thanks to this collaboration with Eden Project we were able not only to host the Summit in a location highly relevant to an event on creative regeneration and placemaking, but to open the event up to artists in Devon and Cornwall who would otherwise not have been able to attend. |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Atlantica website |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Set up the Atlantica website as an online resource for engagement, initially with professional practitioners but increasingly a general public, 'working towards a pan-Atlantic biennial of contemporary art and critical enquiry'. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://atlantica.art/ |
| Description | Commission 1: 'Who do you think should save us?', Exmouth beach, 17 July 2022 |
| 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 | This was the first in our series of 'Outdoor Cultures' art commissions. 'Who do you think should save us?' was an outdoor, site-specific performance event conceived and delivered by Jane Mason, Grace Surman and Gary Winters on Exmouth beach, involving c. 40 local sea-swimmers and 5 lifeguards. Several hundred members of the public interacted with the performance over the course of the day. The event was filmed by Clare Dearnaley with Mark Carey. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://creativepeninsula.org/programme/who-do-you-think-should-save-us |
| Description | Commission 2: 'Field Day', Penryn, 13 August 2022 |
| 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 | 'Field Day' was a site-specific performance event conceived and delivered by Small Acts (Katie Etheridge and Simon Persighetti). The Small Acts team worked with volunteers at the Loveland community garden, on the hill above Penryn, to conceive of a circuit of 'plots' which participants made their way around during the course of the event. Each of these plots uncovered a layer of Loveland's history, its current use and/or its future: participants were able to explore the values of heritage grains, the presence of pottery and other archaeological traces on the site, and the Football/Debating Society that played there - amongst other stories of place. 122 people attended as participants, in addition to 48 local volunteers who assisted on the day. Feedback indicated that local residents learned more about the site and its value, and some committed to get involved with the group of volunteers: 'We had a fabulous time. The event was so well put together and researched. Loved the local history and the choir. Everyone taking part had a valuable tale to tellIt's such a valuable resource: wouldn't it be great to get schools involved to foster a real connection with land, food and the environment.' 'It was the first time I'd visited Loveland. I'd been looking for an opportunity to visit, and this was the right one. Most memorable was stepping into the vision of it, and seeing/hearing about it. It made it a rich visit. The singing was the very best bit! I learned about the Loveland project, about which I only had a hazy idea, and also about the history of the place. I chatted with several new people. I had an especially good chat with one of the volunteer gardeners, and as a result am hoping to come along and volunteer and learn more.' |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://creativepeninsula.org/programme/field-day |
| Description | Commission 3: 'Salmon Run', sites along the River Exe, 25 September 2022 |
| 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 | 'Salmon Run was a community relay event by Tidelines (Anne-Marie Culhane and Jo Salter). This event was co-funded by Creative Arc and organised in partnership with Wild Running. The event was designed to celebrate the epic journey of the Atlantic salmon up and along the River Exe, from Exmouth to Tarr Steps on Exmoor, drawing attention to the plight of the species, whose numbers have crashed catastrophically over the past fifty years. Groups of relay runners carried 'Samantha the salmon' up the river from Exmouth to the salmon's spawning ground at Tarr Steps. The relay included seven changeovers, allowing for some longer and some shorter runs for participants, who varied in age from young children to more seasoned athletes. At each changeover a poem by artist Anne-Marie Culhane was read out by an announcer and Samantha was passed from group to group. Salmon guides from Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Westcountry Rivers Trust and University of Exeter were on hand to share information and stories about these remarkable and at-risk creatures. Salmon Run aimed to make graspable the upstream journey of the fish, and to put the struggles of the running person alongside the swimming fish. Its ultimate aim was to acknowledge the challenge of empathising with another living creature; to encourage thought about the life of the river and impact of climate change; to bring about potential interventions that could change the course of the river's life. Comments from participants suggest that 'Salmon Run' was highly successful in this respect: 'The project did encourage me to spend more time thinking about the human aspects of the story such as the role of anglers and fishermen.' 'I am inspired to join with others to form a Friends of the River Exe advocacy group.' 'I have become a citizen scientist (and have hopefully involved my children and nephew and niece) in monitoring water quality and temperatures.' 80% of responding runners/stewards reported they knew little or nothing about salmon before the project and 88% reported it changed their view of the whole river system and that they might take positive action to support the salmon. 'Salmon Run' was attended by 75 runners, with 15 stewards and 125 attendees at the race stations. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://creativepeninsula.org/programme/salmon-run |
| Description | Creative Peninsula summit, 18-19 November 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The Creative Peninsula summit was a networking and knowledge exchange event that took place at Eden Project on 18-19 November 2022. Organised in collaboration with the curatorial team at Eden Project, the event aimed to bring together practising artists, arts professionals, local authority representations and academic researchers, alongside non-arts partners including Black Voices Cornwall, Queer Kernow, and the Food and Farming Commission. The focus of this interdisciplinary discussion was culture-led regeneration and creative placemaking in Devon and Cornwall. Questions explored were as follows: What are the stories we tell about Devon and Cornwall? How have these narratives previously excluded marginalised and under-represented groups? How can they be retold in a more inclusive, engaging way that gives both local communities and visitors a renewed sense of place? And how can partners across the region work together to achieve this? Sessions included: Keynotes from Ashish Ghadiali ('Black Atlantic - towards a framework for environmental justice') and Susan Schuppli ('Water Protectors') Panels on 'Placemaking and culture-led development', 'South West colonial heritage', 'Ruralities', 'Outdoor Cultures', 'Queer Peninsula', 'A Parliament of Waters', and 'Collective Action - independent projects and artist-led initiatives'. The event also included a presentation and screening of two films based on Creative Peninsula commissions, 'Who do you think will save us?' and 'Field Day'. Sample feedback on the event: 'I found it really useful to hear what the museums have been doing with engaging communities and their role as important anchor institutions. Really enjoyed listening to Ashish's talk on how we impact and are impacted by other places/people, and the need to uplift the voices of lived experience.' 'I gained a great knowledge and network within and across the industry. It was great to have individuals that focus on community projects or walking projects.' Respondents mentioned the following as key 'takeaways': 'The need for a systems approach to placemaking so as not to miss out engaging with key placemakers, those who shape our landscapes and are embedded in our dispersed communities, and form the foundation of our economy.' 'Remembering the importance of the arts in bringing people together and creative ways of telling stories about place.' |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://creativepeninsula.org/programme/creative-peninsula-summit |
| Description | Creative Peninsula website |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Established the Creative Peninsula website as an online engagement resource for bringing together academics, arts professionals, local authorities, professional practitioners and communities, with a focus on place-based creative commissioning in the far South West of England. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://creativepeninsula.org/ |
| Description | Queer Ruralities - two youth-led workshops and a pop-up exhibition at CAST (Helston) in partnership with the Intercom Trust, responding to the Creative Peninsula exhibition, BRIDGIT by Charlotte Prodger |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | Working with the Young and Yourself! youth group of the South West region's leading LGBTQ+ support charity, Intercom Trust, we led two workshops and a pop-up exhibition at the art studios and gallery, CAST, in Helston, Cornwall, responding to the Creative Peninsula exhibition, 'BRIDGIT' by Charlotte Prodger. The intention was to engage a group of LGBTQ+ people with a major exhibition featuring a world-leading queer artist that presents themes relevant to them, e.g. the mapping of queer rural landscapes and a sense of belonging in non-metropolitan regions. Participating in the workshops offered participants an opportunity to develop a sense of connection by collaborating with other LGBTQ+ people. Young people were also be able to develop new skills and increase their confidence by engaging with the artistic material and presenting their own perspectives by producing new visual art and creative writing (determined according to the participants' interests). Young people also experienced an enhanced sense of pride and belonging, since the pop-up exhibition showcased their work to broader audiences, valuing their insight and knowledge and demonstrating that their voices have a vital place in society. This was funded through University of Exeter's Translational Funding, specifically the AHRC IAA Fund. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.intercomtrust.org.uk/directory/listing/lgbtq-youth-cornwall/ |
| Description | Salmon Run 2023, 24 September 2023 |
| 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 | A community relay run along the length of the River Exe, from sea to source, following the route of the endangered Atlantic Salmon from Exmouth to it's spawning grounds on Exmoor. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://creativepeninsula.org/programme/salmon-run-2023 |