Local artists unveil unique new art pieces at Medmerry Nature Reserve

These new art installations, which are designed to celebrate the reserve’s natural beauty and its special relationship with the local community, are being delivered as part of the Culture Spark project.

Culture Spark is a creative partnership between Chichester District Council, Chichester Festival Theatre and Pallant House Gallery. The Culture Spark programme of activities and events received a total of £75,000 funding from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and is administered by Chichester District Council.The first of the three art pieces to be unveiled at Medmerry is a sculptural installation that will be situated at Earnley Viewpoint. This has been created by Two Circles Design to reflect the surrounding environment. Easton Viewpoint will showcase a soundscape created by Splodge Design, which captures the ‘sounds and stories’ of the reserve. Finally, at the Breach Viewpoint, award-winning photographer Jakub Bors has designed a structure that will also act as a place for residents and visitors to rest their mobile phones so they can capture photos of The Breach.

To accompany this project, a series of free art and photography workshops have taken place at the reserve this spring. The final workshop in the series is a ‘nature walk’ photography session led by Jakub Bors which will take place on Sunday 12 May between 2pm-5pm. The session is open to all — for more information and to book a place, email: [email protected]

Councillor Jess Brown-Fuller, Cabinet Member for Culture and Events at Chichester District Council, says: "Earlier this year, we invited local artists to put forward their ideas for three unique commissions that would help celebrate the reserve and we were delighted with the positive response we received.

“This offered a really exciting opportunity for the district’s talented artists and designers to showcase their ideas and skill. The successful artists have drawn inspiration from the reserve and have beautifully linked their pieces with the local environment. The sculpture at Earnley Viewpoint incorporates materials that can be found at Medmerry, while the soundscape at Eastern Viewpoint captures the land and recounts stories from the community. The structure at the Breach encourages people to upload their picture to help create a visual record of the surrounds as they change through the seasons.

“The Culture Spark programme is a fantastic way for us to showcase the incredibly talented artists in our district, and this project is a great example of this.”

RSPB Medmerry Nature Reserve is one of Europe’s largest coastal realignment schemes. Its creation involved constructing a new 7km flood embankment on higher ground further inland, and transformed 183 hectares into new intertidal habitats for birds and other wildlife. People can find out more about the reserve by visiting: www.rspb.org.uk/days-out/reserves/medmerry

For further information about the project, like to attend the launch and/or to book a place on the FREE photography workshop email [email protected]