Talking about climate change
January 11, 2024
One of the most precious habitats in England, the chalk grasslands of the South Downs, are as rare and important as the Amazon rainforest and, like much of the environment, under threat due to climate change.
The National Park’s former Writer in Residence, Sara Clifford (pictured above), and her company, Inroads Productions, received funding from the National Park Authority towards developing the first stage of an ambitious three-year project exploring the chalk grassland landscape.
Conservation Conversations is a series of events creatively exploring the fragile habitats, focussing on voices that are often the most impacted by food production, transport and access issues but that are under-represented in the conversation around climate change.
For the first of these, At the Edge, Sara offered a series of creative workshops and walks exploring the environment and climate change with young people and community groups in and around Newhaven over the summer months of 2023, using dance, visual art and creative writing.
This culminated in an event at the Hillcrest Centre, where participants shared creative responses inspired and informed by the workshops, along with speakers from Changing Chalk and Lewes District Food Partnership, and Tidemills Choir.
One participant said: “So lovely to blend spoken word,, art and song to celebrate our extraordinary landscape. Thank you!”
Another added: “The number of different flowers that grow on chalk grassland! I enjoyed having time to just sit and draw.”
Along with the National Park Authority, Sara’s team are working in partnership with the University of Brighton/ Arts and Humanities Research Council, the Hillcrest Centre, Sussex Community Development Association, Creative Newhaven and others as the project develops.
Watch this space for more events in 2024!
For further information, please visit www.inroads.org.uk or contact Sara at inroadsproductions@mac.com