Community groups explore their creative side in build-up to 10th anniversary Wye Valley River Festival

The Mothers In All Weathers Choir prepare for Wye Valley River Festival 2024

Local community groups are experimenting with exciting new ways of creating art ahead of the return of popular open access event the Wye Valley River Festival next month.

People across the Wye Valley are producing work ranging from screen printed banners to group performance pieces ahead of the free arts and environment festival, which is in its 10th anniversary and is held every two years to celebrate and get audiences out in the local landscape.

The groups’ creative experiments will be a part of the 2024 Wye Valley River Festival, which kicks off on Friday 3rd May with a programme of vibrant shows, workshops, performances, installations and film running at locations from Hereford to Chepstow until Sunday 12th May.

Building on the community activities held in the run-up to the 2022 festival, organisers have responded to public demand to create more opportunities to get involved throughout the year. Three local artists have been working as “creative community champions” since January to encourage participation in the arts by creating work based on local environmental issues.

The Katie Hanning outdoor art workshop for Wye Valley River Festival 2024

With the 2024 festival inspired by “the earth beneath our feet”, the groups are producing a range of creative responses including work linked with the ecological theme.

Olivia Preye is leading two projects, including songwriting scheme The Cosmos Within Us, which will explore grief through human connection with nature and the night sky, plus the Mothers In All Weathers Choir, made up of mums who learn songs whilst out walking from locations including Willey near Presteigne.

Artspace Cinderford is delivering a series of events and workshops connected with food stories, while Katie Hanning is encouraging active participation through a series of ‘walkshops’, outdoor mobile art works involving local residents, fellow artists and environmentalists.

Printmaker and WVRF artist in residence Nichola Goff has been running a series of workshops entitled FABRIC, co-creating with various groups a cloth depicting the vital role of earth in our lives.

Through Queering The Wye, the Festival has provided regular LGBTQ+ youth sessions from the Forest of Dean to Abergavenny with a creative, environmental and craft activist focus since September. Under supervision from textile artist Lizzie Godden and the Yard Print Studio, based in Drybrook, young people have produced 12 hand dyed banners to go on display at the festival.

Participants in the Artspace Cinderford session at West Dean Centre look back at old recipes

Held every two years since 2014, the event is run by Wye Valley River Festival CIC, an arts organisation led by innovative artists and communities creating work on environmental themes.

Artistic director Phillippa Haynes said: “The Wye Valley River Festival continues to generate engaging ways for the local community to work alongside amazing artists to be entertained, moved and inspired by the region’s environment, with the 2024 programme promising to be as strong as ever. It is fantastic to see such a cross section of people get involved to try new ways of making art, connect with one another and most importantly enjoy their interactions. We are delighted with the work being produced, which will have an important role in the festival.”

The Festival was created and developed in partnership by the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). It is funded by the UK Community Renewal Fund, Arts Council England, Arts Council Wales, the Sustainable Development Fund and the Welsh Government.

The programme for this year has been announced. Most events will be free to attend and do not require tickets. Details at www.wyevalleyriverfest.com