Legacy

The Severn Project had a huge impact on all those who worked on it by providing a new scale and way of working. The communities involved saw artists with limitless ambition come into their towns and bring people together from all walks of life to create events on all scales. The project knitted together networks of people and organisations to interpret a landscape close to all their hearts.

The legacy of the Severn Project continues to resonate and although the initial project is now complete it could be reignited and begin again. The model that enabled the project to happen has been used for other successful projects and is described here by the Desperate Men Theatre Company.

'In 2012 Desperate Men in collaboration with Cirque Bijou and a rich partnership of artists and organisations created the 'Battle for the Winds' for the launch of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Sailing at Weymouth and Portland. Encompassing over 50 events, working with 1200 artists with an audience total of 500,000 plus 2012 participants walking into the sea with fire torches, this region wide project is a direct legacy from the Severn Project in that it is inspiring artistic work around a common theme, on this occasion 'Wind Gathering'

Once again we worked with poet Alice Oswald who wrote a new collection of poems, 'Conversations with the Wind' as well as reviving existing creative relationships with a team in Gloucestershire, musicians from 2009 and pa Boom. Creative connections continue to grow across local authorities, through educational links and community groups creating a new model of working practice in Outdoor Arts.'

See http://battleforthewinds.com/

RICHARD HEADON – Artistic Director