Nature Calling Conversation #4: Matt Rosier and Matthew Shaw
Six artists commissioned as part of the Nature Calling programme will talk about their practice with specialists from other fields.
Date and time
Location
Online
About this event
- Event lasts 1 hour
Nature Calling Conversations
As part of the National Landscapes Association’s Nature Calling arts programme, six artists commissioned to produce pieces in collaboration with National Landscapes teams and local communities will be talking about their practice with specialists from other fields for a special webinar series: Nature Calling Conversations.
The fourth Nature Calling Conversation will be between Matt Rosier commissioned artist for Chilterns National Landscape, and Matthew Shaw of Stone Club.
Matt’s Nature Calling project: Luton Henge
Chilterns National Landscape Partnership commissioned Matt Rosier to create Luton Henge which opened with a full day community festival on 26 July. Luton Henge is inspired by ancient henges, places where people would gather to mark key events in the year. It is sited close to Waulud’s Bank, an ancient earthwork which includes the source of the River Lea. Luton Henge is made from local Totternhoe chalk, some of the last pieces to be extracted from the nearby quarry. The Henge will be looked after by the Luton Henge Collective, a group of local people who meet fortnightly to discuss future use of the site. The area around the Henge will become a haven for nature in the city and has recently become part of the Big Chalk network.
Find out how you can explore Luton Henge.
Nature Calling Conversation #4: Matt Rosier and Matthew Shaw
Matt Rosier has been working on his project Luton Henge for the past ten months, spending time with the people of Luton to develop a new community monument, a space for celebrations, leisure and contemplation.
Matt creates public installations within communities and landscapes across the country. His practice often involves the public in both the creation process and finished work, embedding himself in communities and places. His work has been installed in public spaces in London, Paris, Austin, and Tokyo; shown at the Design Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London; nominated as one of the Design Museum’s Designs of the Year; and awarded the Active Public Space Award, the London Contemporary Art Prize Public Vote Award, and the Museum + Heritage Innovation Award.
Matthew Shaw is a co-founder of Stone Club, a community set up to explore pre-history and ancient sites through events, talks and walks. They run a regular night at The Social and pop up events across the UK. He is an artist, writer and poet. Matthew has written for Caught by the River, Resurgence & Ecologist, Permaculture magazine and The Great Outdoors magazine. His book Atmosphere of Mona, a collection of poetry and photography was published in 2020. He has worked on performances and art installations for a variety of places including Barbican, Charleston House, Bryn Celli Ddu, Barclodiad y Gawres, Glastonbury Festival and Sea Change Festival
Matt and Matthew expect their conversation to cover why we still feel the draw of ancient sites; how marking moments within the year helps to calm and connect us with each other and with the land, and why that’s important; and why they think a new ‘ancient’ site like Luton Henge has inspired a local community drawn from all backgrounds, and their hopes for the development of the site.
Nature Calling
Nature Calling is delivered by National Landscapes Association and executive creative partners Activate Performing Arts. It is funded by Arts Council England and Defra via the Protected Landscapes Partnership and England’s National Landscapes.
Through contemporary conversations about what landscape means to us today inspired by artists working with communities, ‘Nature Calling’ is encouraging and inviting new audiences to make a connection with natural landscapes when there is a current and pressing need to secure nature’s future.
Nature Calling events will be taking place throughout the summer of 2025 in National Landscapes, with larger scale projects in the six hub locations: Chilterns, Dorset, Forest of Bowland, Lincolnshire Wolds, Mendip Hills and Surrey Hills.
Future Nature Calling Conversations:
24 September: INSTAR in conversation
29 October: Becca Gill in conversation
20 minute versions of all of the Nature Calling Conversations will be available via the Nature Calling website if you’ve missed one or want to listen again.