■Woodland arts trail:
YOUNG people in South Derbyshire are being invited to share their experiences of nature during lockdown as part of a poetry project.
Arts Melbourne’s Whispers From The Woods project will see a woodland art trail created through Melbourne and surrounding woodlands, comprising lines of text written by young people, summing up their experiences of interacting with nature in the National Forest during the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021.
The scheme has been made possible through support from the National Forest Company as part of its arts grant initiative.
A survey commissioned last summer found that 80% of children and young adults who took part in it agreed that the pandemic had made their mental health worse, with an increase in anxiety and feelings of isolation.
Demonstrating that interaction with nature and the arts can help support positive mental health, Whispers from The Woods aims to facilitate opportunities for young people to share their experiences of lockdown in a safe and supportive way while exploring the benefits of interacting with the natural world.
Lines submitted to the project will form the base of a poem, which will run the length of the trail, curated by Dan Webber, an award-winning LGBTQ+ poet and producer based in Derby.
When asked about the project, Arts Melbourne and Melbourne Festival director Sharon Brown said: “Young people have had their lives turned upside down for most of the last year, regular trips to local cities have been replaced with walks in the National Forest, slowing down and rediscovering the joys of being outdoors in constantly changing countryside.
“We want to encourage young people to share their experiences with us, and for members of the public who frequently walk through the woodlands, and those who don’t, to rediscover and reconnect with nature on their doorstep.”
Submissions to the project are open to young people aged 25 and under based in South Derbyshire.
All submissions must be sent via email to info@melbournefestival. co.uk before 5pm on Friday, April 30.
For more information on the project visit the Melbourne Festival website at www.melbournefestival. co.uk