Our walks inspire all sorts of creative responses and our leaders help you with prompts and short exercises which you can opt into (or not). Theres never any pressure and never any judgement or criticism… just an opportunity to connect mindfully with nature to inspire creativity.
Roger Drury is one our our leaders who’s talent lies in words with poetry & storytelling. Here’s a little clip of one he wrote on the West Dean Walking Project taking prompts from the sights, sounds and textures all around. Picture below looking rather dapper in his yellow coat and beret…
Would you like to give something like this a go? We’re quite friendly you know 😉
Our next Walk is on the 14th October and then the last one is the 18th October. Both starting from Bream War Memorial at 10:45 and finishing up at the cafe for a warming cuppa after.
This project is quite special as it builds on our very popular Creative Walks by following up with an Artist Led Art Workshop to develop your ideas and inspiration into a more finished piece. And even more special, we’ll be putting all participants art work and installations on display to share your love of nature and art with everyone in the local area.
So you see, we’re spreading the joy and spreading the word about how good it is to get out there and enjoy the forest – through art. We’ll be showing how to really pay attention and focus in on the sights and sounds all around you and how they make you feel. We’ll be showing you different ways of channeling that into marks, colours, words, music and poetry. Our guided creative walks are a mindful experience for your wellbeing by connecting with nature, all without the fear of getting lost off the beaten track. You’ll enjoy both forest tracks and meandering little footpaths through the trees, gently looping through the forest with spots to pause, reflect and get creative. It’s a lovely chance to meet like minded people in your local area who hold the same values as you do, building friendships and communities.
Our West Dean Creative Walk Project
Walks: An artist led walk for people interested in being active and creative, encouraging participation through written or spoken word, photography, visual notes, map making, story telling and drawing. Please wear boots/strong shoes and waterproof/suitable clothing. You don’t need to bring an art kit, everything is provided but bring a camera if you’d like to record what we see. The walk itself is not long because we regularly stop along the way to engage with nature and explore our responses. There will be numerous opportunities to creatively make marks, take photos, collect found objects, write notes and enjoy the company of like minded supportive others. The joy of noticing something that often is overlooked can be very exciting and sharing ideas in a small group can hopefully inspire further creative ideas.
Art Workshops: In our artist led workshops, we will be working from the inspiration you discovered on your Creative Walk and developing it into a finished piece of art for display in our Art Exhibition. This may take the form of a painting, sketch, poem, song, textile, embroidery, photograph, sculpture or a visual art of your choice. We will be providing some art materials and encourage you to bring art supplies to complete your artwork according to your vision. Our team of professional artists will be on hand to help guide your creative process during the workshop with advice and practical skills
We keep the groups small & friendly so please book here to secure your space. Only 12 spots available. An experience for creatives and the general public, suitable for beginner walkers. Numbers are limited so please book as soon as possible
Artist Led Workshops
Each workshop will be led by artists to encourage participants to develop ideas started on the walk.
Find out more here and don’t forget to book your tickets as spaces are limited!
Canopy Creative Network 