nities since 1997.
Bowland Arts 2009
1st May - 30th June 2009
The Forest of Bowland is known for its outstanding natural beauty and breathtaking landscapes, perhaps this is one reason why so many artists choose to make their homes here.
This year’s Bowland Arts Festival, which runs from the 1 May until 30 June, celebrates the vast wealth of creativity and abundance of talent in the area through exhibitions, art trails and walks, workshops, films and a host of other artistic events.
There will be something in this year’s festival to stimulate visitors of all ages. From the chance to learn stone-carving at one of the many workshops to enjoying an evening of entertainment in a local village hall.
Make sure you don’t miss out on a visit to the local brickworks as part of the Brick Carving Workshop on 4 June, where anybody who has ever wondered how bricks are made will also have the chance to carve their very own. This is also a rare opportunity to tour the Claughton Brick Works which is linked by the last remaining aerial runway to the quarry on Claughton Moor.
The selection of creative walks and trails ranges from Poetry Postcard Picnics to Walking in the footsteps of the Romans, a guided walk that follows the Hornby track from Roeburndale to Slaidburn on Sunday 28th June.
Of course no arts festival would be complete without the opportunity to get inside an artist’s studio. Green Close Studios will be open to visitors Friday Saturday and Sunday 15th-17th May & 22nd -24th May; this is a fabulous opportunity to see some of the excellent work being produced in the area.
And the really good news is that many of the events are free, whilst for others there is often only a small fee. You can find full details and booking information, essential for most of the events at www.bowlandarts.co.uk
The Bowland Arts Festival 2009 is co-ordinated by Sue Flowers, an environmental artist, based at Green Close Studios in Melling. Sue’s energy and passion has been the driving force behind the festival.
She says:
“The Bowland Arts Festival is the start of something big – an opportunity for artists, communities and visitors to the area to come together to celebrate this special landscape, environment and nationally important wildlife habitat.”
Visit www.bowlandarts.co.uk for full details of all the events, printed event guides are available from:
Green Close Studios
tel 015242 21233
email info@greenclose.org
The Bowland Arts Festival has grown from a series of workshops and events celebrating the birds, wildlife, landscape and culture of the Forest of Bowland AONB.
Green Close Studios has been proud to lead on this developmental cultural input , as we believe that our work and partnerships with professional artists from the area assists in raising awareness of, and interest in, this unique and nationally important habitat.
The event is independent from Festival Bowland, which is a new 'year-round' calendar of events that celebrates the birds, wildlife, landscape and culture of the Forest of Bowland AONB of which the arts plays one of many important roles.
GCS OPEN STUDIOS
Green Close Studios are delighted to announce that they have received substantial financial support from Arts Council England North West to develop the organisation; this is partnered by contributions from Lancashire County Council and Lancaster City Council and as a part of its community engagement programme contributions from the District Councils of Craven, Pendle, and Ribble Valley.
The combined award will assist the studios put in place new management and membership structures for growth, developing a substantial CPD programme for artists, educational programmes for schools and a range of new community engagement programmes. The funding will employ the organisations first paid administrator and ensure the success of an important arts development project across the Forest of Bowland AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) Bowland Festival Arts (www.bowlandarts.co.uk)
“We have been working hard as a team of artists developing the organisation for the last ten years. This funding is a recognition of the value of our work and the commitment which GCS has made to artists and communities in the rural North West.”
Following an intensive 3 year review period working with consultants from ACAVA – the Association for the Cultural Advancement of Visual Arts, based in West London, Green Close Studios is now in a strong position of growth, and can begin to put some of its’ clearly defined aims and objectives into practice. The studios will be offering training and employment for artists across the region and developing innovative ways of engaging with communities, forging new partnerships to bring a culturally diverse artistic programme to the rural communities of North Lancashire and Southern Cumbria.
Director Sue Flowers has been highly involved in the successful establishment of the National Federation of Artists Studio Providers (NFASP) – a new nationally representative body working to professionalise and strengthen the studio sector. She feels that achieving financial support and recognition of the studios’ work at a time when arts funding has been seriously reviewed nationally, is a real achievement.
“I am delighted to be able to drive the organisation forward and will endeavour to develop a sustainable future for GCS and the growing number of artists we work with. The success of our first international project Viva Mexico* which we ran in partnership with Lancashire Museums during 2007-2008 is a great example of what a small independent arts organisation can bring to the cultural capital of the UK.”
See www.vivartsmexico.co.uk for further information
