Event Details

A Future Places Centre Conference at Lancaster University 7th – 8th July 2022

The Reimagining Landscape conference is called to help us reconfigure our relationships with the natural world. At this time of unprecedented change, our keynote speakers and panel discussions will open dialogue towards new ways in which literature and the arts can disseminate environmental issues and foster engagement amongst the wider community.

Speakers and panellists include ecologists, land managers, farmers, writers, artists, photographers and musicians. The conference is a step towards establishing a new centre for environmental communication at Lancaster.

Keynote speakers include:

Fred Pearce, environmental journalist and author of A Trillion Trees (Granta, 2021) and The New Wild (Icon Books, 2015)

Rebecca Chesney, visual artist

Six panels over two days engage with coastal communities and sea level rise, the cultural landscape in the Anthropocene, light, species mapping and restoration, landscape access, arts access, writing the North of England and more.

Special event: The conference includes the premiere of Flight // In Conversation, an evening of conversation and music presented in a partnership between Lancaster Arts and The Future Places Centre, which explores connections between birds, soundscape ecology and us.

Propellor director Jack McNeill (clarinets and live processing) will be joined at the conference by one of the UK's leading authors on nature, Mark Cocker, alongside a handful of players and guests from the podcast series, Flight. Propellor are developing a full live ensemble show co-commissioned by Brewery Arts which will premiere in October 2022. Flight // In Conversation is the first outing of this material in a live setting, a collaboration between Propellor, Mark Cocker and electronic pioneer Leafcutter John.

Thursday 7th July, 8pm. Nuffield Theatre, Lancaster University.

“An ensemble who cross the worlds of folk, classical, electronic and experimental music. It twists and turns through different sound worlds. An intriguing project.” Aidan O'Rourke (LAU)

£35.00 - Standard ticket (including lunches, refreshments)

£00.00 - Students/unwaged ticket – (including lunches, refreshments)

Conference booking is through the University Online Store

Please book your concert ticket separately from conference booking here

Conference Schedule (subject to change)

Thursday 7th July

09:00 Arrival

09:20 - 09:30 Welcome and general introduction: Karen Lloyd

09:30 - 09:45 Opening address: Reimagining Landscapes:

Professor Charlie Gere and Dr Karen Lloyd

09:45 - 10:45 Panel 1: Tidescapes. Sea level rise and trash tides; engagement with coastal communities through citizen science and the arts.

Dr Suzana Ilic, Joseph Earl, Dr Serena Pollastri and Dr Liz Edwards.

10:45 - 11:15 Coffee

11:15 - 12:15 Panel 2: The changing nature of light.

Jack Ellerby, Friends of the Lake District Dark Skies Officer, Henry Iddon - photographer on his ‘Spots of Time’ series, Prof Rob Fosbury – the effects of blue light on life.

12:15 - 13:15 Panel 3: Food: The Cultural Landscape and Food Production in the Anthropocene.

Prof Charlie Gere and Dr Louise Carver on their film The Once and Future Land, Dr Rachel Marshall on food futures and Claire and Sam Beaumont, regenerative farming at Gowbarrow Hall Farm, Ullswater.

13:15 - 14:30 Lunch

14:30 -15:30 Keynote – Rebecca Chesney - Artist

15:30 - 16:00 Coffee

16:00 - 17:00 Panel 4: Mapping

Prof Ian Gregory - Digital mapping of Lake District flora, Jo Sayers University of Cumbria - Back On Our Map species restoration project and Rebecca Thomas - Satoyama principles and the English Lake District.

20:00: Premiere of Flight // In Conversation, Please book separately (see link below)

a collaboration between daring cross-genre ensemble Propellor, writer and naturalist Mark Cocker and electronic pioneer Leafcutter John exploring connections between birds, soundscape ecology and us.

Friday 8th July

09:00 Arrivals

09:30 - 10:30 Keynote – Fred Pearce

10:30 - 11:00 Coffee

11:00 - 12:00 Panel 5: Sounds

Mark Cocker and Jack McNeil discuss their collaboration, Flight//In Conversation

12:00 - 13:00 Panel 6: Restoration of place and language.

Maxwell Ayamba, Black Men Walking, Lee Schofield, RSPB Manager Naddle Farm and author of Wild Fell, Dr Penny Bradshaw University of Cumbria on This Place I Know anthology of Cumbrian poetry.

13:00 - 14:00 Lunch

14:00 - 15:15 Panel 7: Points of View

Maddi Nicholson of Artgene, Barrow in Furness, Kate Davies, poet and Open Mountain, Sara Hunt and Karen Lloyd on the forthcoming North Country: Anthology of Landscape and Nature.

15:15 - 15:45 Coffee

15:45 - 16:50 Plenary and open discussion

16:50 - 17:00 Closing remarks

17:00 End.