The National Trust has just launched Trust New Art – a series of exhibitions, events, residencies and commissions which offers new experiences and connects people and places through contemporary arts practice.
Trust New Art is a partnership between the National Trust and Arts Council England to inspire people of all ages to see and enjoy National Trust places in a new way through the eyes of established and emerging contemporary artists. Over 2 million people have seen Trust New Art projects at National Trust houses, gardens and landscapes across England since the programme began in 2009.
One of the highlights in the new programme is ‘One and All – a digital voyage through sight, sound and sea,’ a Trust New Art and sounduk co-commission by three leading artists working across sound, poetry and art to mark the powerful emotional and personal links that we all have to our coastal landscapes.
Martyn Ware, Owen Sheers and Tania Kovats have been invited to take inspiration from 50 years of Project Neptune, the Trust’s campaign to acquire and care for coastal land. Produced in collaboration with Ben Wigley (artdocs) and digital agency The Swarm, One and All will create a virtual interactive experience of the British coastline.
One and All will be available to experience online from November you will be able to take a virtual coastal walk, immersing yourself in the sounds and sights of the coast discovering three distinctive artistic responses along the way. You will be able to choose how you experience the commissions, which ‘journey’ to take and how long to spend there.
Other highlights in the Trust New Art programme include:
Writing Places: a partnership with Literature Works celebrating the literary history of National Trust houses in the South West with author events, writers and poets in residence and recording iconic poems inspired by each location with the Poetry Archive. Launching 2 June with Sir Andrew Motion, with events running into 2016.
Dangerous Discoveries: five new installations by Rebecca Lee, Sarah Tulloch, Rebecca Beinart, Katy Beinart and Laura Youngson Coll at Biddulph Grange Garden (Staffordshire) inspired by its creator’s passion for collecting plants from around the world (1 August – 1 November 2015).
Three properties taking place in the New Expressions 3 programme, a national pathfinder programme unlocking the creative potential of museums. This will see a new interactive public artwork by Sean Griffiths inviting audiences to ‘play the landscape’ at Lyme Park and Gardens (Cheshire, 13 June – 31 October 2015), video work and portraits by Yelena Popova at Upton House (Warwickshire, 5 June – 31 December 2015) and an interactive installation by Emma Smith at Tyntesfield (Bristol, 9 May – 1 November 2015).
The Musical Box in the Labyrinth: a playful, interactive installation in the Labyrinth at Cragside (Northumberland) inspired by Cragside’s spirit of invention, experimentation, engineering and curiosity (Summer 2015).
Folly!, a series of installations by Gary McCann, Simon Costin and Irene Brown, which transform the follies in the water gardens at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal (North Yorkshire, 23 April – 29 November 2015).
Rehearsing Memory: A new commission from Rebecca Lee and Belén Cerezo to provoke reflection amongst visitors, staff and volunteers on the thousands of men who passed through Belton House (Lincolnshire) as part of the Machine Gun Corps (from September 2015).
Withdrawn in Leigh Woods (Bristol): a new artwork by Luke Jerram hiThree properties taking place in the New Expressions 3 programme, a national pathfinder programme unlocking the creative potential of museums. This will see a new interactive public artwork by Sean Griffiths inviting audiences to ‘play the landscape’ at Lyme Park and Gardens (Cheshire, 13 June – 31 October 2015), video work and portraits by Yelena Popova at Upton House (Warwickshire, 5 June – 31 December 2015) and an interactive installation by Emma Smith at Tyntesfield (Bristol, 9 May – 1 November 2015).
The Musical Box in the Labyrinth: a playful, interactive installation in the Labyrinth at Cragside (Northumberland) inspired by Cragside’s spirit of invention, experimentation, engineering and curiosity (Summer 2015).
Folly!, a series of installations by Gary McCann, Simon Costin and Irene Brown, which transform the follies in the water gardens at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal (North Yorkshire, 23 April – 29 November 2015).
Rehearsing Memory: A new commission from Rebecca Lee and Belén Cerezo to provoke reflection amongst visitors, staff and volunteers on the thousands of men who passed through Belton House (Lincolnshire) as part of the Machine Gun Corps (from September 2015).
Withdrawn in Leigh Woods (Bristol): a new artwork by Luke Jerram hidden in the depths of Leigh Woods exploring ideas connected to the sustainability of our natural world. One of six arts projects funded by the Arts Council England Exceptional Fund as part of Bristol’s year as European Green Capital, with the aim of making sustainable living accessible and easy to understand (18 April – 6 September 2015).
A Place for Art residencies: The second year of Mottisfont’s (Hampshire) residency programme, featuring film based work by Lizzie Sykes, and a work by Shanaz Gulzar and Steve Manthorp celebrating Mottisfont’s tradition of hospitality through digital media technology. (July – December 2015).
Tom Freshwater, Contemporary Arts Programme Manager at the National Trust said:
“We are pleased to be announcing the next phase of our programme, supported by our ongoing partnership with Arts Council England. “Since 2009, we have learnt much about how visitors and supporters can benefit from unexpected interventions in historic places through the creative responses of artists and others. It can provide a new way for people to connect with a place beyond a conventional heritage experience. The National Trust can provide a unique platform for creative work to be experienced – which also impacts on how people experience that place. We are keen to be continuing the strong traditions of many of our places in providing opportunities for artists to make and exhibit work. Contemporary art at National Trust places has generated some lively debate but the majority of our visitors have given us enthusiastic feedback for what they have seen and enjoyed.
For more details of the Trust New Art programme visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/trustnewart.
About Trust New Art
Trust New Art is the National Trust’s programme of contemporary arts inspired by our places.
National Trust has been working with living artists since the 1980s, and in 2009 created Trust
New Art through a partnership with Arts Council England. The programme makes contemporary
arts available in National Trust properties; builds new and diverse audiences; and offers new
opportunities to artists to work in new contexts. For more information visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/trustnewart
About the National Trust
With more than 250,000 hectares of countryside and 775 miles of coastline across England, Wales and Northern Ireland there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors with the National Trust. The charity is one of the most important nature conservation organisations in Europe. It promotes environmentally friendly practises and cares for the diverse and rare wildlife that lives on its land. It also looks after for more than 300 houses and gardens, from workers cottages to stately homes, preserving not only buildings but the stories of the people who lived there. These spaces inspire the Trust’s 4 million members, 61,000 volunteers and 20 million other visitors every year.
