Study Visit 4: Dawn After Night, Spring After Winter by Daniel Locke and David Blandy produced by Surrey Hills Arts
Date: Tuesday 14th October, 2025
Time: 11am - 3pm
Location: Meet at the entrance to Hutchinson’s Bank beneath the welcome sign. This is adjacent to Fisher’s Farm Recycling Centre, North Downs Road, New Addington, London Borough of Croydon, CR0 0LB
Study Visit 4: Dawn After Night, Spring After Winter by Daniel Locke and David Blandy produced by Surrey Hills Arts
‘Dawn After Night, Spring After Winter’ is a new work encompassing two free game trail walks by artists David Blandy and Daniel Locke. Walk into a fantasy adventure on Hutchinson’s Bank in Croydon and become an observer from another world on Box Hill.
“Our work has always been shaped by our own environmental concerns and our understanding of the importance of having a deep connection to the natural world. We hope to inspire people to enjoy exploring their surroundings, to find escape, meaning and each other through the landscape.” David Blandy and Daniel Locke.
Artist, writer and game-maker David Blandy, with graphic novelist and artist Daniel Locke, have been working with the communities of New Addington, in the London Borough of Croydon to create free inspirational adventure games for exploring their local landscapes. Responding to the landscape of Box Hill in Surrey and Hutchinson's Bank in Croydon, ‘Dawn After Night, Spring After Winter’ links the community’s lived experience with the sylvan world around them. Lyrics inspired by this landscape, written by Still Shadey, a MOBO award winning rapper from New Addington are woven throughout the game, framing each scene.
The game trails encourage seeing and experiencing the natural world with fresh eyes, inviting people to enter into the adventures as they walk the trails. ‘Dawn After Night, Spring After Winter’ can be played at home or while walking through the landscape, offering new and unusual ways to reflect on nature and landscape. With poetry, writing, drawing and game design, they have devised an intricate map, an immersive audio-tour and an evocative game publication of local mythologies discovered during the artist's research.
The project has been co-commissioned by Surrey Hills National Landscape, National Landscape Association and Activate Performing Arts. It is being produced by Surrey Hills Arts who are embedded in the National Landscape team.
The day will include meeting the artists, experiencing the artwork and hearing from the commissioners and producers about their objectives for the project – which audience they are hoping to reach and who has been participating with the artists and writer.
Time will be spent in an outdoor location and indoor, so please be prepared to dress for the weather. The day will be made fully accessible. If you have any access needs, please let us know when signing up.
With thanks to the following funders: Surrey Hills National Landscape, Arts Council England National Lottery, DEFRA and support from National Trust, London Wildlife Trust and Surrey County Council.
Artwork credit: Daniel Locke
