In May 2021, the Forest Economic Partnership (FEP) and their project partners, Forest of Dean District Council, were successful in securing funding from Arts Council England to commission artists to create a community engagement campaign.
The project will focus public attention on how a Biosphere Reserve (BR) UNESCO designation for FoD could work here. It sets out to inform the local communities and businesses of the anticipated economic and environmental benefits of the Forest of Dean becoming a Biosphere Reserve
We shall commission two artists to engage the Forest of Dean through an artist’s film and an audio work, to stimulate discussion and debate. We seek to promote the concept of a BR widely to the general public within the Forest of Dean district by engaging the community through creative interpretation of landscape, drawing attention to place, community, culture and nature
Applications are invited from individual artists, or artist teams, that have experience of working in the public realm and an interest in environmental issues. Carolyn Black of Flow Contemporary Arts will be supporting the team with her producer experience, providing curatorial guidance to the artists:
“I live and work in the Forest of Dean and am keen to support artists to understand this unique place. There are so many special landscape features here, and fascinating people with stories to tell about it. We all need to understand more about the potential of becoming a Biosphere Reserve - art is a powerful way to do that.”
For more information and how to apply please see the full brief
