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The Nightjar Project Sound Scrapes Sound Scrapes Sound Scrapes is part of The Nightjar project that takes reminiscent recordings of Ghanaian life that evokes Kwame to think of place and transposes them into related environments here in the New Forest. It draws parallels and, naturally, comparisons between the two places. Some common to all and others clearly dissimilar. It gently asks questions of difference, of lived experience within both cultures and colonial histories that sit underneath. The Nightjar Project uses the bird’s migration to represent the fluid movement of people, histories, cultures and ideas between the UK and Ghana. (Sound 1) From Dusk Till Dawn and Back Again Press Play to listen Kwame says, “Dusk is when the birds are preparing themselves. This is where they and we live because we have preserved and planted a lot of trees. Here it is still forest and all the animals and birds in the area come to rest. My friend who is nervous of animals said, “Can we build on stilts?” And we sat down, and we said we had time, we’re not rushing, and so we started to build on stilts. And everything like snakes and monitor lizards can have the ground and we are up here, and it’s working. The Dawn chorus, you can hear the river flowing. I feel like I’m sitting there. Most of the time I want to be quiet, basically, I want to move away, where nobody wants to go, so I can be quiet, that’s where I go.” An Interesting Fact About Nightjars During the day, nightjars rest and hide from predators in their camouflage. They spend their days resting on the ground or in trees, well camouflaged by their mottled brown and grey feathers. Their camouflage makes them look like fallen logs, bracken, heather, or gravels. (Sound 2) Buipe Frogs Press Play to listen Kwame tells us about Buipe at night and looking for frogs “In Buipe, (Bu-pe) we live by the black river, it is a town right in the middle of Ghana which the main road, the Trans-Saharan Highway, passes through all the way from Burkina Faso and Mali to the coast of Ghana, to Accra, the capital. Picture all the countries above without seaports, everything goes through here, imagine how busy that road is. The time here is the rainy season, and you can hear the sound of a frog. It got me up out of my room and I went looking for that frog. As soon as one starts to come out and sing the rest respond. But one little noise and it is all silent.” An Interesting Fact About Nightjars A nightjar's call is often described as a repetitive "churring" sound, similar to a mechanical whirring or a clockwork toy unwinding, with a slightly rising and falling pitch, often accompanied by wing flapping, making it sound eerie and difficult to pinpoint the exact location of the bird; different species of nightjars may have variations on this call, including croaking, chuckling, or knocking sounds depending on the species. (Sound 3) The Penny Bus Station Press Play to listen Trotr Bus Station in Ghana Kwame explains “A Tro is a coin, a penny, something low-priced, and it is the price you pay for your travel at the bus station. Trotr means ‘One Penny Station’ or ‘Cheapest Bus Station’. The voices are the drivers calling the routes, and all the towns and places that they will travel through. Nothing is written on boards or signs, it’s all verbal because not everyone can read. So, it’s a negotiation about the route and the possibility to get you to where you want to go. Everybody is calling. You you can hear someone shouting “Hospital” as a destination, and (En-ge-ge) which is a stop on the way.” An Interesting Fact About Nightjars Nightjars migrate in a loop pattern between Europe and sub-Saharan Africa. Nightjars overwinter from September to March in the scrub grasslands south of the equatorial rainforests of continental Africa often making a detour through Western Africa. Nightjars arrive in the UK in late April and May where they breed on heathlands, moorlands, woodland clearings, and recently felled conifer plantations (Sound 4) Goji Music Press Play to listen Kwame tells us a story of a dear friend and his music. “The instrument that is being played is a Goji and you have to “Sing it with your own song”, you can’t copy anyone else’s song, so it has to be original. The player is a good friend whose name is Kim Abaya, may he rest in peace, he passed away. He is addressing me, my family and friends, welcoming everyone. The original sound from the original people. The Goji is a one stringed instrument made from a Gord and played with a bow.” An Interesting Fact About Nightjars The song of a nightjar is a sustained churring trill that can last up to 10 minutes. The song is often described as unearthly, whirring, or mechanical. They often move their head as they call, throwing their voice and making it difficult to locate exactly where they are. As if to make things even more eerie, the churring is often combined with a percussive flapping of the wings. (Sound 5) The joy of Rain When it rains, the whole side of the road is like a river, the gutters are full. You have to be careful everywhere you go walking, because you can fall into a hole. And the speed of the water, coming down at such a rate. I like the rain in Ghana it fills the soul. An Interesting Fact About Nightjars Nightjars live in a variety of climates, from deserts to rainforests, but they prefer open areas with some vegetation. They are most active at dawn and dusk, hunting for moths and beetles. Wet and stormy weather can delay migration and reduce the amount of food available for nightjars and their chicks. Cooler summer weather can negatively impact breeding success. Press Play to listen (Sound 6) Story Time We don’t write stories down because they become fixed and boring. When you tell stories again and again each time, they become different. So, when your grandpa or grandma sits you down every day there is a news subject inside. Every week there are different voices, different readings. Here is one story told in two languages, Gonga and Ashanti. They are slightly Risqué versions of the European tortoise and the hair fable. An Interesting Fact About Nightjars Nightjar myths are familiar and as strong here as they are in African countries. The Nightjar is known by many names – the Fern Owl, the Wheeler, the Nightchurr and the Dor-Hawk. But the oddest is surely the Goatsucker. Long ago it was thought Nightjars would drink milk directly from goats, poisoning them so their udders wasted away, and they went blind. Press Play to listen (Sound 7) Damba Festival Kwame talks of food, music and coming together. “Gonga music played at a Damba Festival celebrating this year’s food crops, a harvest festival in Ghana. You can hear a talking drum addressing individuals and groups of people as it makes its way through the festivities. It’s a time when different ethnic groups come together and celebrate good fortune as food is the key to everything.” An Interesting Fact About Nightjars A nightjar it is most active at dusk and during the night, hunting for insects like moths and beetles on the wing by flying silently and capturing prey with its large, wide-opening mouth. They are often seen at dusk and dawn when insect activity is high, and their excellent camouflage makes them difficult to spot when not in flight, usually resting on the ground where their plumage blends with the surroundings. Press Play to listen (Sound 8) Life On The Black River Press Play to listen “We hear the river flowing, you can hear it talking to you.” Kwame reflects on the presence of the Black River as it flows through history. “I tell people to stop and listen as the river is speaking to us. I love to hear the children playing in the river, the laughing voices, their joy. You can also hear the old chains now, clanging away. The old colonial chain ferry built by the British across the Black River. The ferry has gone but everybody still uses the chains as a way to anchor yourself and pull yourself across the river.” An Interesting Fact About Nightjars A European Nightjar is a small, nocturnal bird with a distinctive appearance, characterized by its cryptic, mottled grey and brown plumage that closely resembles tree bark, a flat head, large dark eyes, a small but wide mouth, and long pointed wings and tail; male nightjars have noticeable white patches on the tips of their wings and tail, which they flash during display flights; overall, they look somewhat like a small falcon when in flight, and are more often heard than seen due to their excellent camouflage. (Sound 9) Kids Have Come to The River Kwame can relate the idea of home to many places and activities that tie in social life to the forest. There is an association of listening to landscape as if it were a being. “I tell people to stop and listen as the river is speaking to us. I love to hear the children playing in the river, the laughing voices, their joy.” An Interesting Fact About Nightjars Nightjars have been associated with death and misfortune in many folklore traditions. They are variably known as Lich Fowle, meaning "corpse bird". In Norway, The Night-raven, associated with Odin's ghostly procession of fallen warriors. In other stories The Soul-bird, where a bird carries the souls of the dead to the Underworld. In British folklore, nightjars were believed to be the souls of unbaptized children. Press Play to listen (Sound 10) The Bird That Can Fly Between Worlds Press Play to listen Their habits have given the nightjar an eerie reputation, associated with lost souls and otherworldly forces. Imagining his own death, the Dorset poet Thomas Hardy used a nightjar to symbolise his soul passing, If it be in the dusk when, like an eyelid's soundless blink, The dewfall-hawk comes crossing the shades to alight Upon the wind-warped upland thorn, a gazer may think, "To him this must have been a familiar sight." An Interesting Fact About Nightjars The call of the European Nightjar is often a churring sound that is mechanical and eerie. The call can vary in pitch and volume and can last for several minutes. They often move their head as they call, throwing their voice and making it difficult to locate exactly where they are. Different species of nightjar make a variety of sounds, including croaking, growling, grunting, and hissing. As if to make things even more eerie, the call is often combined with a percussive flapping of the wings. This is done by rapidly throwing them upwards and then sharply bringing them down with considerable force, creating a distinct "cracking" sound that is more akin to a whiplash effect. This behaviour is primarily used by male nightjars during courtship displays to attract mates. (Sound 11) British Museum Press Play to listen When you stand in the Great Hall at the British Museum you are struck by the irony of its existence. There is a constant hum of multiple languages all communicating at once. On this particular day in January there must have been around 80-90% of sightseers from overseas to visit a collection of objects that continue to be controversial in their collection and motivation of housing them. Europe took great care to identify and name as much as possible, spreading enlightened thoughts around the globe and writing down a significant history about themselves in the pursuit of knowledge. An Interesting Fact About Nightjars We the Europeans named our one and only type of nightjar resident here in the UK where it lives for four or five months. Of some five different types of nightjar they might meet, the Akan people have one common name for all the birds ‘Santhrofie’, in English ‘Trouble Should Happen At Home’ Its translation perhaps alludes to some of the folklore that follows it and a very different taxonomy of words used in naming things. The Nightjar Project uses the nocturnal bird and its migration to investigate ideas of movement and homeland, between Ghana and the UK. The project takes the rich narrative of migration, folklore, and the environmental peculiarity of the Nightjar to consider life living under two skies, examine cultural and historically views, and share stories of land management. It brings together a group of creative, educational and environmental organizations to explore these questions. African Activities, SPUD, and the New Forest National Park Authority set out to define the possibilities of creative conversations between these communities. Their aim is to invite us all to think of belonging to places and communities. How work and live alongside each other and to share our stories of belonging. This is a two-year project and to set the agenda for further discussions we are starting with an exhibition by Kwame Bakoji-Hume, multiple workshops in storytelling and environmental creativity, a series of ‘Sound Scrapes’ from Ghana and a commissioning of a film by the artist James Elliot looking at land management. Tell Us a Story About Belonging Ghanaian artist, musician and community leader, Kwame Bakoji-Hume, is creating an exhibition of works that shares his story, from his early childhood in Ghana, though building his ‘family’ in a children’s home, migration and how he fits into the bigger picture of dual homelands and being part of an African diaspora in the New Forest, living under two skies. The exhibition will be full of symbolic language, embedded storytelling and interpretation within his painting and sculptural works. It’s the excitement of a living craft of oral cultures that can tell the story historic and contemporary ideas of belonging. Within the exhibition we want to invite people to tell their story of belonging as we build a body of individual stories. From the questions that arise from Kwame’s work and audience responses further work and discussions will be sparked. Fires Across the Earth The third strand of questions the Nightjar Project set out to ask is related to the marginal environment that the nightjar choses to live in. How similar or different the threat might be in Ghana and the New Forest National Park Authority, and what benefits might come from sharing information on community and land management, in particular the historic regenerative tool of controlled burning. The artist James Elliott was commissioned to make a film around the community decisions and the physical work of managing a specific environment on The New Forest that encourages and supports nightjars and other biodiversity. The film will be sent to African Activities Foundation in Ghana along with questions from the NFNPA to discuss land management and stories of nightjar numbers and habitat.

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Mobile Arts Space Design and Build Competition: Bring culture to every corner of the New Forest. Apply Here The Project We are working in partnership with Culture in Common and New Forest District Council who are commissioning an innovative, mobile performance structure to take high‑quality arts and culture to towns and villages across the New Forest. It will tour May–September each year, then be based at Applemore College through the darker months, offering a flexible, inspiring venue for learning and community use. What we’re looking for: A robust, transportable, all‑weather structure that deploys quickly on varied sites (greens, squares, car parks, recreation grounds). A flexible space for performance, workshops and exhibitions—welcoming, inclusive, and distinctive. A practical build within a total budget of £80,000 (incl. VAT). This project is being funded by New Forest District Council using Community Infrastructure Levy contributions and all tenders are through the New Forest District Council Portal using the Apply button. At‑a‑glance Budget: £80,000 (incl. VAT, design, materials, construction, delivery) Audience: Seating ~120, or up to 250 standing with raised stage Indicative footprint: 10–13 m diameter (for circular concepts) Power: Tour-ready (battery/solar/generator compatible). Mains available at Applemore College. Where it goes: Outdoor sites across the New Forest (summer) → Applemore College, Roman Road, Dibden Purlieu, SO45 4RQ (Oct–Jun) Use cases: Music, theatre, dance, spoken word, multimedia; school productions, lectures, talks, celebrations, talent showcases, careers events. Key requirements (what your design should do) Mobility & Deployment Towable or vehicle‑transportable; assembled by a small team; stable on uneven ground. All‑weather Operation Durable materials; shelter for audiences, performers and tech. Flexibility & Functionality Modular/expandable layouts; good outdoor acoustics; FOH/box office + sound/lighting position; adaptable audience capacity. Access, Scheduling & Inclusion Wheelchair access; neuro‑inclusive design; clear, safe circulation and sightlines. Aesthetic & Community Appeal A distinctive visual identity with options for branding/colour schemes. Sustainability Eco‑friendly materials; low‑impact construction; efficient transport & storage. Applemore College site - showing access and area for location of theatre: LOCATION Google map What to submit Please provide: Concept design & 3D visuals (2 × A2 PDFs, ≤10MB each) Transport & storage strategy Company details & contacts Relevant experience & portfolio Design concept & approach (how it meets this brief) Detailed cost breakdown Project timeline & milestones Sustainability approach Any supporting documents (max 2 x A4) How to submit All applications are through NFDC's official procurement portal - Proactis. You will need to register in order to use this portal at: https://procontract.due-north.com/Register Once you have registered you will need to submit your application for the Mobile Theatre Space using the Apply Here link pink button below. You application should include your design boards as PDF's (under 10mb) and all the associated tender documents on the Proactis project page. Apply Here Timeline 19 January (12 noon) — Expressions of Interest deadline 22 January 2026 — Interviews 28 January 2026 — Final artist/team selection February 2026 — Site visits February 2026 — R&D: workplans defined March 2026 — Detailed design presentation March – June 2026 — Production phase 10 July 2026 — Completion & Project Launch July–September 2026 — Youth Arts Festival rollout Evaluation (how we’ll choose) Design Innovation & Suitability Functionality & Adaptability Sustainability & Environmental Impact Experience & Capability Cost‑effectiveness & Value for Money We welcome collaborations between designers, architects, theatre makers, fabricators, and engineering partners. Site & context Touring: Designed for village greens, town squares, car parks, recreation grounds. School base: Applemore College (Oct–Jun) within a ~30 m wide treelined area; mains power available. Local context: Dispersed communities, limited public transport — this venue meets people where they are. Applemore College location Site images Accessibility & inclusion considerations Step‑free routes and wheelchair access to stage and audience areas. Neuro‑inclusive wayfinding & quiet zones; adjustable lighting levels and acoustic treatment. H&S: Safe circulation, secure anchoring/ballast strategy, weather protocols. Sustainability expectations Material choices with low embodied carbon; circular design principles. Efficient transport & storage; modular parts sized for minimal trips. Options for battery/solar integration; shore power ready at school base. Durable, repairable components with maintenance plan. Consultation Work undertaken with young people at Applemore College Feedback from the staff and students at Applemore College: Download Report Further consultation with young people was undertaken with the spudYOUTH Architecture group. FAQ Who can apply? Design/build teams, studios, consortia and collaborations with the capability to deliver both design and construction within budget. What’s the total budget and what must it cover? £80,000 (incl. VAT) covering design, materials, construction and delivery. What audience capacities should we plan for? Approx. 120 seated or up to 250 standing with raised stage. Seating can be lightweight, stackable/foldable and able to be easily stored after events. Do we need to provide power? Designs should be tour‑ready (battery/solar/generator compatible). Mains supply is available at Applemore College. What about storage and transport? Include a clear transport & storage strategy with footprint and load list. The design should be towable/van‑transportable and stable on uneven ground. It should be transportable on roads without creating access issues or the need for escort vehicles. Will branding change by event? Yes—include options for temporary branding, colour schemes or interchangeable cladding/skins. Is there a preferred shape? No, but circular (or semi-circular) concepts often work well outdoors; a 10–13 m footprint is a good benchmark. What are the key selection criteria? See Evaluation above for weightings. All enquiries regarding the procurement process and uploads to Jamie Burton at NFDC: Jamie.Burton@NFDC.gov.uk For further enquiries regarding the competition design aspect: mark@spud.org.uk Apply Here Images: Performances at Applemore College This project is being funded by New Forest District Council using Community Infrastructure Levy contributions and all tenders are through the New Forest District Council Portal.

The New Forest National Park Artist in Residence Click on the buttons below to go to information on the current and past resident artists: Marie Smith - May/Oct 2022 Beccy McCray - Oct/May 2022 Melanie Rose - May/Oct 2023 Alex Julyan (lead artist) - Oct/May 2023/24 Ben Adamson (Mentee) - Oct/May 2023/24 Jasper Rouwen - May/Oct 2024 New Forest National Park Artist Toolkit The artist toolkit is a bank of information, resources and contacts about the New Forest National Park for local and visiting artists. Skip to: About the National Park Local organisations Information spaces Arts organisations Potential sites of interest Resources About the National Park A brief overview of what makes the New Forest so special, from its unique landscapes, rare wildlife, history and culture, to the people that live here and their ancient traditions. The New Forest was made a national park in 2005 - making it one of the newest out of the 15 in the UK - however its name dates back over 900 years before that. In 1079, William the Conqueror set aside the area for hunting and called it 'Nova Foresta'. A place of outstanding natural beauty, the unique landscape here is shaped by the grazing of ponies, cattle and pigs that roam freely. Commoners own the stock, but many animals are semi-wild and rarely handled. Commoners of the New Forest are people who occupy property and land benefitting from one or more of the six registered Common Rights over the Forest and/or adjacent commons. Although a way of life for many, commoning is subsistence farming and seldom provides a total income for commoners. Commoning is important for the environment because browsing and grazing by ponies, cattle, and deer suppress the brambles, gorse, and other coarse vegetation. This creates the look of the Open Forest lawns and trees. It’s rare to travel more than a few miles without coming across these famous Forest residents. You can spot brand marks on the ponies that show who owns them or different tail-clippings indicating in which part of the Forest they belong. It is important to remember to keep your distance from these animals though as they are unpredictable and best treated as wild. They also have no road sense so when driving in the Forest it is important to pass them wide and slow and be prepared to stop if necessary. In July 2023 a Public Space Protection Order came into force making it illegal to pet or feed the free-roaming ponies and donkeys in the New Forest. The New Forest is an internationally important place for many species such as ground nesting birds. From March until August several rare and endangered species of birds including the nightjar, curlew, woodlark and Dartford warbler, breed in the open heathlands. During this time of year, it is important to keep to the designated tracks, disturbing them can highlight the nests and cause the parents to flee, exposing their eggs and chicks to predators. You may also find some car parks are closed near sensitive breeding sites. Context of National Parks: For over 70 years, National Parks have been breathtakingly beautiful areas for the nation. The story of their creation spans two centuries and is one of romance, rebellion, a growing appreciation for the great outdoors, and a way to connect with nature. There are 15 National Parks in the UK and each one has been designated as a protected landscape because of its special qualities . Each National Park is administered by its own authority, but that authority does not own all the land in the National Park. (In the New Forest, Forestry England manages 41% of the National Park.) Each National Park is different and remarkable in its own way, but all work together as part of a big family. People live and work in the UK’s National Parks. Anyone can visit at any time for free. With thousands of kilometres of public rights of way including 1,300km designated as suitable for those with accessibility challenges, everyone has incredible opportunities to explore these amazing spaces. The importance of arts in the New Forest: The importance of the New Forest National Park for people and nature is key and its future depends on people understanding, valuing, and helping to care for it. One of the many challenges is that while people are keen to learn about the landscape, they need help accessing this and overcoming barriers associated with confidence, understanding, and relevance. By working with artists to create and deliver artistic and creative activities we want to help people learn more about the National Park, its heritage, stories, and unique and special qualities. At the same, we want to help people discover, understand, and act in ways that support the future of the landscape. Artists have the potential to help people to think differently and what we are seeing in the New Forest is applicable to any other environment, landscape, climate, and ecology. Ours and the New Forest National Park Authority's ambition is to build a creative partnership between artists and the people that work, live, and visit the National Park. We want to create an arts and cultural offer that is relevant, excellent, and sustainable, and demonstrates the power of the arts to make positive change for all those that take part. Working in the New Forest: The highly protected nature of the National Park means that we are interested in artists who can work sensitively within these restrictions and respond to this positively in their work. Working in the New Forest means taking account of some of the constraints that exist due to its protected status and the nature of its ‘working Forest’. The key constraint is that most of the open access land – the land where the ponies graze and makes up the core and around 50% of the National Park, is protected by multiple environmental laws and regulations. Permission to carry out activities on the protected land is required and often flexibility is required to adapt or change ideas following feedback. Examples of activities that would need permission include siting artworks or sculptures in the landscape, public events, foraging for wild plants / fungi and collection of materials such as wood, clay or gravel. The key thing here is to seek advice from the landowner in all cases. Over much of the land this is Forestry England but other ‘open land’ owners include Parish Councils, Hampshire County Council and the National Trust. Other areas of the National Park are also sensitive and protected such as the coast, waterways such as the Avon, Beaulieu and Lymington Rivers. New Forest National Park Authority staff and SPUD staff have a wealth of experience in dealing with the constraints and opportunities involved in working in the Forest and can help talk through and guide ideas so that they can take account of the unique working landscape of the Forest. Local organisations Key organisations with more information and access to certain aspects of the Forest you may be interested in researching or exploring further. New Forest National Park Authority Forestry England Verderers of the New Forest Commoners Defence Association New Forest Trust New Forest District Council Hampshire County Council RPSB Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust Countryside Education Trust Go New Forest New Forest Dog Owners Group New Forest Marque Information spaces Anchor 4 Useful places for further research. New Forest Knowledge New Forest Heritage Centre St Barbe Museum and Art Gallery Buckler's Hard Maritime Museum Hurst Castle Friends of New Forest Airfields National Motor Museum, Beaulieu Forest Arts Centre Local Information Points Film New Forest Minstead Study Centre New Forest and Hampshire County Show Anchor 5 Arts organisations Useful arts organisations within, or operating in, the New Forest. Folio, New Forest Arts and Culture Hampshire Cultural Trust Coda Music and Arts Trust Forest Forge Theatre Company Culture in Common Potential sites of interest Anchor 6 Potential sites to explore in more detail to get an impression of life in the Forest. Formal parks, gardens, historic sites Hale Park House Furzey Gardens Minstead Trust HQ Bucklers Hard Museum, shipwrights’ school Hurst Castle Beaulieu Abbey Managed sites actively encouraged to experience nature Foxbury National Trust Copythorne Common, RSPB Franchises Lodge Nature Reserve , RSPB Lymington and Keyhaven Nature Reserve , HCC Treehouse , Beaulieu, Countryside Education Trust Lepe Country Park Wildplay sites Sway – Stanford Rise Ashurst recreation ground Holbury Manor – natural amphitheatre Community spaces Beaulieu Road Sales Yard Blackwater arboretum , Forestry England Resources Anchor 7 Useful resources. New Forest code New Forest facts in a nutshell Back to top Sponsored by Supported by

New Forest Imaginarium Is there a particular place In the New Forest that sparks your imagination, brings to mind a story (real or fiction), an event, somewhere you hold close to your heart? A place that you return to often, in thought or in person; that you take with you in your imagination wherever you go? The Imaginarium is a creative leap of hope and imagination in these challenging times: an inclusive landscape of the imagination and a way of articulating why the Forest is so important now and into the future. It will take the focus that lockdown has offered us to reconsider what we value most deeply in this world, and build upon it. A blueprint for the future. You can help shape this unique landscape through your words, written or spoken, and by identifying a particular place in the Forest the inspires you, whether that is woodland, heath, coastline, wetland or built landscape. "Island" Imaginarium Demo "Mirror Forest" Imaginarium Demo "Sea of Grass" Imaginarium Demo "Traces" Imaginarium Demo "Beach Bus" Imaginarium Demo How it works The Imaginarium is an interactive installation consisting of five digital dioramas, set within a gaming environment. Visitors can fly through these imaginative landscapes using simple hand gestures (removing the need to touch anything to operate the installation; a response to Covid precautions), travelling from one diorama to the next via portals. The landscape of each diorama is a montage of LIDAR scans of the Forest, designed to create unexpected juxtapositions and alliances between different aspects of the Forest. Visitors to the Imaginarium are invited to add their own thoughts, recollections, memories about the importance of the Forest to them through audio inserts placed at a chosen location within one of the dioramas. These inserts can be in the form of spoken word, poems, sound effects or music, and once placed in a diorama can be identified by a moving cloud of colourful points in the landscape, which when you draw near eplay the audio for as long as you remained there. Whilst travelling elsewhere within a diorama a specially composed soundtrack is audible. In the exhibition the Imaginarium was accompanied by an introductory video, a map of its layout showing the various portals and where they lead, framed prints of selected views, and a small piece of found wood in the form of a flying dragon. Specially printed cards were available for visitors to record their chosen diorama and location within that, along with their email address, and the link to the spudWORKS website where audio can be uploaded for inclusion in the Imaginarium. A key aspect of the Imaginarium is its aesthetic. This is designed to be beautiful, engaging, something of wonder, and unlike the popular image of computer game visuals.

What's On See our programme for all our exhibition and events listings Exhibition dates and timings may change at short notice. Please phone or email if you are travelling any distance to the gallery. spudWORKS Gallery Opening Times Mon: 10-4 Tues: 10-4 Wed: 10-4 Thur: 10-4 Fri: 10-4 Sat: 10-2 Sun: Closed

The Exbury Egg The Exbury Egg is a temporary, energy efficient self-sustaining work space for artist Stephen Turner in the estuary of the River Beaulieu. It is a place to stay and a laboratory for studying the life of a tidal creek, a collecting and collating centre with integral storage & display areas. It will take on the patina of 730 daily tides below the water line, and 365 days of weathering by wind, rain and bleaching by the sun above. The Egg is ‘tethered’ like a boat to rise and fall with the tide. The light touch and basic nature of the 'Exbury Egg' aims to re-appraise the way we live; to properly consider sustainably and future use of natural resources. Stephen Turner is interested in exploring a more empathic relationship with nature which reveals the precious and transcendent in everyday life. The artwork created will stem from Stephen’s occupation, developing through direct experience an understanding of local natural cycles and processes and the relationship of the environment to the narratives of human activity in the unending calendar of seasonal life. ‘Climate change is already creating new shorelines and habitats. Established salt marsh is being eroded by a combination of rising sea levels and falling landmass and the entire littoral environment is in a state of flux. The implications for wildlife and for the flora as well as for people are challenging. Raising awareness of the past and the unfolding present of a very special location will be the task, whist living in an ethical relationship with nature and treading as lightly as possible upon the land.’ Stephen Turner

Sign Up FREE Sign Up FREE Together, we will be exploring different ways of making art. Fun & playful workshops guided by LGBTQIA+ & guest artists in a gentle environment. There will be a mixture of individual and collaborative activities. We will explore different themes across the year. Activities including: drawing, collage, mixed-media, creative writing, 3D making, photography, film and much more! Who are the sessions for? New Forest based LGBTQIA+ young people aged 13 - 25. No skills or experience necessary. Just an interest in being creative and a place to be yourself! Sessions are FREE to attend Spaces are limited to a small group. Materials and refreshments will be provided. Where are the workshops? Together - Make Art! workshops are held in the Living Room* This space is separate to spudWORKS main gallery building. Getting here by train: Our nearest train station is Sway station. It is a 5 minute walk out of the station and to the gallery. Exit the station and follow the road up towards Station Road, here you will need to turn right and cross the road. You will see a white fence and a long gravel driveway (opposite The Silver Hind pub). Follow the gravel driveway path, you will find the gallery is located at the back. by car: There is a small car park on site. On Station Road you will see a white fence and a long gravel driveway (opposite The Silver Hind pub). The gallery is located towards the rear of the gravel driveway. Please do not park in the first part of the driveway, but follow the drive all the way to the back where you will find spudWORKS smaller car park. If you have any questions or would like to sign up to the art group please email: together@spud.org.uk Put Yourself In The Middle Two artists have worked with LGBTQIA+ communities from the New Forest area to help them become the centre of the narrative of two very different short films. ‘If you read this I was here’ ‘If you read this I was here’ is a short film resulting from a brief collaboration between artist James Elliottand the Together group based at spudWORKS, Sway in the heart of the New Forest. The project explored the group’s responses to their surroundings and environment, the manmade and natural world, their connection to it and their place within it. The resulting film sought to give voice to and explore the groups interactions and means of communication with the world around them, considering and questioning how that world has and will continue to shape them. The Together group offers creative workshops for LGBTQIA+ identifying young people. The workshop programme offers a mixture of individual and collaborative activities and is guided by LGBTQIA+ & guest artists in a gentle environment, with a variety of different themes, styles of art making & materials across the year. Artist James Elliott said “It was an amazing, insightful experience, the opportunity to collaborate with this group allowed me to begin to understand and view the New Forest through the eyes of these very creative young people”. "New Forest Pride - A Celebration of Identity" "New Forest Pride - A Celebration of Identity" is a short film, created by Arts University Bournemouth student Tom Burko, that captures the spirit and energy of New Forest Pride, an event dedicated to celebrating the LGBTIQA+ community. As an observer and participant, I embarked on a journey to highlight not only the vibrancy of the festivities but also the profound sense of connection and freedom experienced by all who attended. This film is a tribute to the vibrant colours, joyous expressions, and unwavering pride that define New Forest Pride.

Contact Email Name Subject Message Thanks! Message sent. Send Opening Times Mon: 10-4 Tues: 10-4 Wed: 10-4 Thur: 10-4 Fri: 10-4 Sat: 10-2 Sun: Closed spudWORKS, Station Road Sway Hampshire SO41 6BA Call: 01590 682260 General enquiries: jointheadventure@spud.org.uk Find us on What3Words: ///restores.suits.baguette Location Map. Parking at spudWORKS The blue diagram shows the location of the spudWORKS Car Park. Please do not park anywhere else along the gravel driveway as this is not SPUD property. The map below shows alternative parking locations as well as free parking available throughout most of the village.

What is spudYOUTH Architecture and how does it work? spudYOUTH is an award winning workshop programme being run for young people aged 13 and upwards who are interested in architecture, urban design and public art. It is a weekly free programme run at spudWORKS in term-time. spudYOUTH follows a simple process that takes young people through investigation, analysis and ideas development prior to formulating practical proposals. It’s a skill set that can be applied to many other things and provides all the spud projects with a clear and easy to understand structure. Why take part in spudYOUTH? Meet and work with professional architects, designers and student architects in the spudWORKS studio Weekly programme ran from 5pm until 7pm every Wednesday during term time at spudWORKS in Sway Learn what makes a quality place to live Make a difference in your community Work in a real studio environment with professional designers Improve your design skills, communication, confidence, presentation, organisation and team work Enhance your portfolio and CV for college interviews and to stand out for university applications Speak to key decision makers in your community GIVES YOU A VOICE amongst other local decision makers Present ideas, opinions and design proposals to councillors, local authority officers and other professionals Use spudYOUTH as part of Arts Award Meet new people and have fun! If your child is in receipt of Pupil Premium or free school meals you may be able to register free of charge. To enquire about this please contact us at register@spud.org.uk Data Protection: spud take your privacy very seriously. Please click here to view our full GDPR Data Protection Statement SIGN UP HERE spudYOUTH Summer Exhibition 2022 @ spudWORKS spudYOUTH’s new cultural exchange programme The award-winning spudYOUTH programme is teaming up with Daikanyama Teens in Tokyo to deliver an exciting architecture and design project. spudYOUTH participants will be able to develop new design skills, try out architectural model-making and learn more about Japanese culture. Some of the participants will also get the opportunity to go to Tokyo next during 2022. Workshops are running from late May 2021 until February 2022 and will include some Saturday morning Zoom calls with the team in Tokyo. Sway meets Tokyo! What's been happening... Over the last few months students in Sway and in Tokyo have been redesigning their own arts centres. they've been given complete freedom to come up with new ideas, decoration, facilities for a wide range of users. Their designs are for Daikanyama Teens building in Tokyo and for the spudWORKS building in Sway, New Forest. In order to do this they have created plans, mood boards and scale models. From their final ideas they have then written 'love letters' to their counterparts in UK and Japan to explain their ideas and share their plans. Now the students have received each others plans they have to build scale models of each others centres. The students are chatting to each other to explain their ideas and get to know each other using the Slack messaging platform. Students will complete scale models of each others buildings and the UK students will be sending their models and designs out to Tokyo for an exhibition in March 2022. Students from the UK will also be travelling out to meet with their Japanese counterparts and the staff team at Daikanyama Teens later this year. This will be an incredible opportunity to experience Japanese culture and spend time with the young people in Japan. This project has been made possible with the kind support of the Daiwa Foundation and the GB Sasakawa Foundation. Exhibition Photos 1/2 Future High Street: Lymington As the country re-opens from lockdown our high streets, shops and businesses have all been affected. Lymington High Street has been impacted too. But what do young people think? How will town look post-Covid? What opportunities do these changes present? Now is the time for young people to have their voices heard. spudYOUTH ran an exciting summer workshop to allow young people to share their ideas, and learn new skills. The results of the week long workshop can be seen below. The young people had some very thoughtful and articulate ideas, which they explored through drawings and model-making. The over-riding theme that came through very strongly was to have a 'green' High Street - literally greening the street up with planting and trees, but also a more sustainable and eco friendly High Street. The other main focus was managing traffic in the town. Ideas were developed to reduce parking, slow traffic and improve public transport. Young people felt that cars dominated the High Street currently and this was to its detriment. Finally, there was a strong feeling that the Town needed public art, colour and 'something special' to mark it out as unique to visitors and not like every other High Street - to create a reason to stay, explore and revisit. The full report can be viewed by downloading the PDF here . Images and film courtesy of Kieran Short Media The Future High Street Project has been made possible through the kind support of HIWCF We've created this virtual gallery so that you can enjoy the exhibition which is currently on at spudWORKS, but due to Coronavirus we have not been able to open to the public. Danebury Iron Age Hill Fort: Visitor Centre Concepts Young people taking part in spudYOUTH workshops have been developing concept designs for a small visitor centre to be located at the car-park at the foot of the historic Danebury Iron Age Hill Fort near Stockbridge in Hampshire. The site, managed by Hampshire Countryside Services, is a very significant Iron Age Hill Fort in a spectacular location. not has undergone a series of archaeological excavations which have revealed much about the construction of the site and life at the Hill Fort. Handlebar Cafe The Handlebar Cafe is an ongoing project organised by young students from various schools and colleges in Winchester and the New Forest who have particpated in the spudYOUTH workshops. The original concept design (above) was developed by Alex Grice, a young spudYOUTH participant. Having presented the idea to Winchester City Council and to the Town Forum, spud and the student participants were invited to develop the designs further and explore whether this was a feasible design. An intensive series of workshops held in April 2015, supported by Winchester City Council, University of Portsmouth, ArchitecturePLB and other commercial organisations developed the plans, designs and business case more fully. The cafe is to be located near a popular cycle path in Winchester and a short distance from St Catherines Hill. The idea is that friends and families will be able to purchase delicious food and drinks at a unique cafe after their cycle ride or walk, with gorgeous views back across the meadows to St Cross. You don't have to be a cyclist, anyone can visit and enjoy the delicious meals and drinks the cafe offers. People can arrive and hire a bike or if your bike is damaged you can get basic repairs and purchase bicycle parts and accessories. It is intended that the Cycle Cafe will be open year round, serving the many people who enjoy this fantastic location. In addition to the cafe operating at a commercial level, spudYOUTH are exploring the potential to develop the business as a form of social enterprise. The cafe could provide valuable opportunities for work experience for college students, apprenticeships and work placements for long-term unemployed. Identifying potential partnerships with a local college and a commercial cafe operator will form a strategic part of the development. Buckland Rings In 2017 spudYOUTH developed ideas and designs for new gateways, seating and most importantly interpretation to bring Buckland Rings to life. Previously there was only a basic sign announcing the site and people knew very little about it. This project was a great opportunity for the young people involved to learn more about this important site, work with a range of professionals including historians, landscape professionals, ecologists and artists. The young people led on the ideas and worked closely with a range of people to develop them. Funds granted by the Heritage Lottery allowed the young people to realise their ideas and install them on site. Interpretation Artwork Who said that interpretation panels had to be dull? spudYOUTH commissioned artist Harrison Alcock to implement his unique and original artistic drawings into the new interpretation that will be set in Buckland Rings. The drawings offer a tasteful and clear interpretation of the Iron Age era and draw visitors into indulging in the history of the hillfort Guardians of the Gate Behold the Guardians of the Gate, a dramatic and enticing proposal by Katie Surridge blending traditional ideas with contemporary and artistic design; the three structures consist of a durable Corten Steel body with plasma cut leaves. In each figure there is a copper heart with fine detailing, using classic techniques such as repoussé, in order to add an interesting tactile interaction to each figure Iron Age inspired seating Artist Nicola Henshaw has proposed a unique and intriguing seating design inspired by the tools used in the Iron Age lifestyle for example spear-heads and cutting tools. The seating will consist of naturally curved wood giving an organic aesthetic therefore allowing the seating to not be too intrusive to the scenery but rather be an elegant compliment to the natural fields of Buckland Rings St Thomas' Church In 2016 spudYOUTH students were given the task of regenerating St Thomas' churchyard in Lymington. After exploring multiple options two projects were decided upon. The first was a new cycle shed to replace the worn out existing hut that was insecure and falling apart. The second piece was a new bench with new paving beneath. These designs were built in 2017 thanks to a grant from Tesco Bags of Help. SPUD and spudYOUTH have being appointed to look again at the public space/courtyard area at the front of St Thomas Church and to work with local young people to create a new and welcoming landscaped area. This work will commence in Oct 2019 and involve a Design Festival and workshops with local schools.

Sway meets Tokyo! spudYOUTH’s new cultural exchange programme The award-winning spudYOUTH programme is teaming up with Daikanyama Teens in Tokyo to deliver an exciting architecture and design project. spudYOUTH participants will be able to develop new design skills, try out architectural model-making and learn more about Japanese culture. Some of the participants will also get the opportunity to go to Tokyo next during 2022. Workshops are running from late May 2021 until February 2022 and will include some Saturday morning Zoom calls with the team in Tokyo. What's been happening... Over the last few months students in Sway and in Tokyo have been redesigning their own arts centres. they've been given complete freedom to come up with new ideas, decoration, facilities for a wide range of users. Their designs are for Daikanyama Teens building in Tokyo and for the spudWORKS building in Sway, New Forest. In order to do this they have created plans, mood boards and scale models. From their final ideas they have then written 'love letters' to their counterparts in UK and Japan to explain their ideas and share their plans. Now the students have received each others plans they have to build scale models of each others centres. The students are chatting to each other to explain their ideas and get to know each other using the Slack messaging platform. Students will complete scale models of each others buildings and the UK students will be sending their models and designs out to Tokyo for an exhibition in March 2022. Students from the UK will also be travelling out to meet with their Japanese counterparts and the staff team at Daikanyama Teens later this year. This will be an incredible opportunity to experience Japanese culture and spend time with the young people in Japan. This project has been made possible with the kind support of the Daiwa Foundation and the GB Sasakawa Foundation. Exhibition Photos