We are delighted to announce that Canal Connections has been awarded a micro commission from the Cultural Institute at The University of Leeds. We are working towards producing a portfolio of photographs for exhibition alongside nine other artists for
“Beyond Measure: Exploring Research and Evidence in Culture and Health”.
We see this commission as a way to highlight the under realized asset in the centre of our City.
Blue space as caring space – using industrial waterways for the cultivation of care in social and environmental practice
Research about the care potential of the natural environment predominates on Green Space. Research on Blue Space is largely confined to the coasts. Providing more than just a boat trip, we create interactive journeys enabling people to see urban environments, themselves, and their lives from a different perspective; a two-way conversation identifying how interaction with post-industrial waterways not only reduces stress, anxiety and mental health issues for people but leads to their increasing care for the environment. A new door opens to them and they become open to themselves becoming hydro-citizens: people cared for by and caring for their environment.
Through our work we are also interested in:
Enabling People to take ownership of their lives and their environment
Industrial waterways brought prosperity and innovation to Leeds. Industry brought air and water pollution.
The waterways became misty sewers. Today a waterfront location increases property value, but Leeds waterfront enhancement strategies seem to set boundaries excluding the most disadvantaged communities. Some residents have no knowledge of their waterways’ existence, let alone the beneficial potential of their natural, built, and cultural heritage.
Our idea for this micro commission is to create a mini portfolio of thought provoking, multi layered, photographic images in response to the theme Beyond Measure, created through a collaborative process involving young people, a professional photographer, our natural environment and our local heritage.
“Presence”
Our inspiration and starting point for this commission was the above image “Presence”. This image was produced through a collaborative process with Parise, a 16 year old student who was on a Princes Trust programme, a part of which was a 2 week work experience programme with Mark Wheelwright of ISO Photography. Mark had introduced Parise to our Reflections Course trainees and she spent 4 hours on our boat working to a brief provided by Yvonne Roberts, our Artistic Director. “Presence” was one of a series of images produced.
We are excited by what will be explored, unearthed, achieved and discovered as we embark on this fascinating commission.
Please check back to see how we progress.