Yarmouth Springs Eternal (forthcoming, 2021)

By

Genevieve Rudd

Great Yarmouth arts, nature and walking project led by local community artist Genevieve Rudd, due to happen in spring 2021. The project is led in partnership at originalprojects; based at their new creative space in a town centre shopping centre.

Yarmouth Springs Eternal came out of lockdown walks in spring in my local area. I'd notice self-seeded plants growing through cracks in the walls and had more time to spend gardening.

During this time, I was also ready reports about the people who were most disproportionally affected by COVID and the lockdown, which inspired the development of the project. The project has been awarded funding from Norfolk & Norwich Festival's Creative Individuals Norfolk, East Anglia Art Fund, Norfolk County Council's Arts Project Fund and Better Together Norfolk.

This year, reports on COVID impact (from Mind, ONS, Royal College of Psychiatrists) have shown an increase in first-time mental illness, greater harm from housing insecurity and Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic groups disproportionately affected. In additional, if you're from a BAME background or live in poverty, you're less likely to have access to private or public green spaces.

Yarmouth Springs Eternal was developed in response, to create space for using the natural world and the arts as a lens to explore isolation and lived experiences. The group’s own perspectives will offer rich interpretations to inform deeper reflections on cultural heritage, access to nature and inequality. Participants will witness and record their plant and nature discoveries through artist-led workshops. They will actively seek out hope and watch spring unfold together. In a recent report by Mind on COVID and mental health, walking and making art were cited as positive coping strategies. ‘Spending time outdoors’ was used by 67% of adults during lockdown. Personally, walking/outdoor art-making became a daily essential for my wellbeing and I hope this project will nurture building a habit of this simple, restorative practice.

The project is due to take place in Spring 2021, starting from the Spring Equinox on 20th March with a celebration exhibition taking place in May 2021 at Primeyarc (ex-Debenhams department store) in Market Gates Shopping Centre, Great Yarmouth.

More information: http://www.genevieverudd.com

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Genevieve Rudd

Genevieve Rudd has led and organised community arts projects since 2011 and is based in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. Alongside freelance arts engagement projects, she currently works as an Associate Artist/Tutor at Sainsbury Centre of Visual Arts, and leads Artist Educator Social Network, a peer-led network co-founded with Kaitlin Ferguson for artists working with people in East Anglia. In 2017-18, Genevieve was Youth Engagement Officer (maternity cover) at Time & Tide Museum, and from 2019-20, she was Chair at Waveney & Blyth Arts. Genevieve has developed projects with people in care homes, museums, galleries, libraries, youth clubs, schools, community festivals and in outdoor public spaces. In particular, Genevieve’s projects consider heritage, cultural and environmental themes. She holds current professional member with AccessArt, Artists’ Union England, Artworks Alliance and GEM (Group for Education in Museums).

http://www.genevieverudd.com