Little Ouse Headwaters Project

The Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts has been working on a creative project in partnership with the Little Ouse Headwaters Project (LOHP), a charity dedicated to the restoration, conservation and promotion of the wildlife and landscape of the Little Ouse valley, on the borders of Norfolk and Suffolk. Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, this 18 month long project aimed to celebrate the heritage values of the Little Ouse area through art, writing and performance, and inspire people to become more involved in its conservation. 

Working closely with Mike Harding, LOHP trustees and volunteers, we started a ‘Creative Group’, which encouraged residents local to the project area to creatively explore the distinctive features of the Little Ouse valley. Working together with the group – which included over 30 artists, writers, photographers, musicians and dancers from the local area - we organised an extensive series of practical workshops, local knowledge sessions and bespoke guided walks on the fens which encouraged and supported members of the group to explore a range of subjects and materials in their work.

The project culminated in a series of public exhibitions in October 2013, presented in three village halls in the project area. The exhibitions included painting, sculpture, textiles, photography, illustration and writing all inspired by the valley, the source of the river and the tiny details that make it a unique place. 

Veronica Sekules and Liz Ballard

‘Its great to see a project being run by enthusiastic, energetic people, which is not just conserving wild places but bringing people and communities together, bringing in artists and looking at the countryside through a whole new set of eyes.’ Phil Rothwell, Heritage Lottery Fund

Little Ouse Headwaters Creative Group generously supported by HLF.