Nature Calling
A project from the National Landscapes Association
Activate's Role: National Executive Creative Producers
- Locations: Chilterns, Dorset, Forest of Bowland, Lincolnshire Wolds, Mendip Hills and Surrey Hills.
- Date / time: May-October 2025
About Nature Calling
The project is led and coordinated by the National Landscapes Association with Poetry School supporting the work nationally and 6 National Landscapes Hub areas across the country will produce outdoor work in their own landscape. Working with writers, musicians, visual artists and theatre-makers, Nature Calling will inspire new communities across England to connect with our National Landscapes, increasing people’s access to nature, improving their wellbeing and inspiring a sense of belonging in these special places.
Nature Calling brings together the 34 National Landscapes in England, local arts organisations and community groups from within a 30-minute journey time of their nearby National Landscape. They will work together to co-create artworks inspired by these iconic places and the results will then be shared with the public in a Season of Art from May – October 2025. Around 70,000 people will take part.
National Landscapes are the UK’s nearby countryside. 66% of people in England (44 million) live within 30 minutes of a National Landscape, over 1 million people live within them and at least 170 million people visit every year. Nature Calling aims to reach out and encourage even more communities to feel welcome to enjoy these special places and on their own terms.
Nature Calling is a first for National Landscapes because of its size, scope and the level of investment. It aims to inspire communities across England to connect with National Landscapes, increasing their access to nature, improving their wellbeing and inspiring a sense of belonging in these special places.
The following writers and artists have been commissioned to explore and celebrate nature and our National Landscapes (formerly known as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty – AONBs) and they have all begun to work on their chosen projects, culminating in a Season of Art between May and October 2025. Visit the Nature Calling website to learn more about the project and the individual artists:
Dorset – Writer Louisa Adjoa Parker and Artist Becca Gill
Chilterns – Poet Lee Nelson and Artist Matthew Rosier
Forest of Bowland – Writer/Rapper OneDa and Artist Rob St John
Lincolnshire Wolds – Poet Ayesha Chouglay and Artists INSTAR Weareinstar, Trish Evans and Nick Humphreys
Mendip Hills – a collaborative commission with the writer Gwyneth Herbert, sound artist Jason Singh and nature documentary maker Chris Howard, produced by Sound UK
Surrey Hills – Writer/Rapper Still Shadey and Artists David Blandy & Daniel Locke
5 of the commissioned writers launched their pieces in January 2025 and you can explore them here.
“The great thing about Nature Calling is that it’s a chance for new voices to interpret the National Landscapes of England in new ways. Arts Council England and Defra funding means we can deliver our first all-England arts programme with six National Landscape teams working with artists to celebrate these iconic places with a season of events in 2025.”
“Throughout time, our greatest artists have been inspired by England’s wonderful landscape. Now, we’re supporting a new generation of artists to bring to life their own awe-inspiring work in response to our natural environment. I’m excited to see what they will create.”
Videos & Films
Nature Calling in Dorset
Dorset National Landscape and Active Performing Arts are working with Louisa Adjoa Parker on the Nature Calling writing commission and Becca Gill on the Artist commission.
Louisa Adjoa Parker is a southwest writer of English-Ghanaian heritage. Her work, which includes poetry, fiction, prose and ethnically diverse history, has been widely published. Louisa spent time in deep exploration of the ancient landscapes of Dorset and spoke with a wide cross-section of people who live and work in the area.
Louisa said: “I heard from children and young people, farmers and land managers, people with accessibility needs, artists, storytellers, and archaeological or wildlife experts, and this brought the land to life; each and every conversation helped shape the piece.”
The result is ‘This patch of land’, and you can read the poem and more about its creation here.
‘This patch of land’ is an evocative reflection of the rich patchwork of lives and landscapes that make this area so special.
Louisa’s work will help inspire the next stage of the Nature Calling project, which will include artist Becca Gill working with local communities.
Becca Gill is an artist and producer working in outdoor arts, community engagement, and mass participatory events. She has held senior creative producing roles as Head of Programme at Trigger (The Hatchling, PoliNations, Ground, Teabreak) and with Total Theatre, Kaleider, Pages of the Sea/14-18 NOW, BBC New Creatives and South West Creative Technology Network.
She has pulled together a creative team of artists and writers under the new company Radical Ritual. They will explore ancient sites and develop new tales of nature, care and community through the project Consequences. Becca will be working with: Grace Emily Manning RCA, multidisciplinary artist, focused on landscapes, ecology, and folklore; Sita Brahmachari, celebrated author exploring ‘Home’ and ‘Belonging’ centring global majority voices; and Nick Hayes, Writer of The Book of Trespass, illustrator and co-founder of Right to Roam.
“The project Consequences isn't just meaningful—it's fun, aiming to captivate a broad audience and draw attention to our natural and sacred sites. We may have forgotten the stories our landscapes tell, but together, we can rediscover and inspire new tales of care, nurture, and community.”
Project Lead: National Landscape Association
National Project Funders: Arts Council England, Defra (Department for Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs
National Executive Producers: Activate Performing Arts
Associate Producers: Poetry School, Walk the Plank, 101 Outdoor Arts
National Landscape Association regional funders: Chilterns, Dorset, Forest of Bowland, Lincolnshire Wolds, Mendip Hills and Surrey Hills
Creative Producers: Chilterns/Revolution Arts, Dorset/Activate Performing Arts, Forest of Bowland/Blaze & LancasterArts, Lincolnshire Wolds/Magna Vitae & SO Festival, Mendip Hills/Super Culture and Surrey Hills/Surrey Hills Arts
Partners
Arts Council England, Defra (Department for Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs), National Landscape Association, Activate Performing Arts, Poetry School, 6 regional National Landscapes (Chilterns, Dorset, Forest of Bowland, Lincolnshire Wolds, Mendip Hills and Surrey Hills).