Marsh, Arts & Us
What is Marsh, Arts & Us?
Marsh, Arts and Us was a 3 year scheme of projects that combined activities in the landscape of the Broads National Park with creative activities to increase the health and well-being of residents in Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft. During each project, participants from Access Community Trust, Herring House Trust and DIAL enjoyed trail walking and boat trips around various beautiful locations in the Broads followed by five creative sessions reflecting and responding to these experiences. The creative activities were diverse, including sculpturing, painting, making music and creative writing. At the end of each project a local presentation showcased and celebrated their work.
The project aimed to engage people experiencing social, emotional, physical or mental health difficulties. Both spending time in nature and developing creative practices have a powerful and wonderful healing effect on us all. Staff from Water, Mills and Marshes and two local community artists (Belona Greenwood and Ian Brownlie) were privileged to offer these experiences to those that benefited from them the most.
To date 3 projects have been delivered with trips to Carlton Marshes and Oulton Broad and follow-up sessions that included poetry and short story writing, lino-printing and writing music. Feedback was 100% positive – the only negative has been that the projects couldn’t last longer!
Funding Partners
The projects are funded by Arts Council England, Great Yarmouth Borough Council, Suffolk County Council, Norfolk County Council and the Broads Authority.
