The WVRF Youth Banner Project was led by Nichola Goff, artist / printmaker from Redbrook.

Nichola worked with youth groups across the lower Wye Valley from Ross-on-Wye, Monmouth, Redbrook and Chepstow, exploring the theme of HUMAN⇋NATURE and youth identity; to collaboratively design and co-produce 12 large-scale silk banner flags that were displayed at the 2022 Wye Valley River Festival, and then toured to various other locations and events, including the Hereford Carnival and the Equinox Festival in Ross-on-Wye in September 2022.

Nichola worked with groups at The Attik Youth Centre in Monmouth, Thornwell Youth Centre in Chepstow and groups in Ross-on-Wye and Redbrook. Creative sessions explored the festival themes with text, photography, drawing and found imagery, printed with the limited colour pallet taken from nature. The flags were created on heritage silk that was naturally dyed using local plants and designs that were screenprinted onto the fabric using natural pigments from ochre and plants.

Check out the story behind the silk being used for the banner flags.

See the natural dyeing process.

Each group worked on three banners. Viewing the River Wye as a thread, the project aimed to amplify youth voices throughout the Wye Valley, reflecting the diversity of youth identity and connecting these communities to share their voice as part of this celebration of community, place and environment.

“This is brilliant because it is something different and creative and is a chance to look at the place I live”

It was “nice to do something new, not many new things happen here”

Youth Leader feedback:

  • Seeing the pride & confidence of the young people growing through the work / project has been amazing
  • As a result of the project YP are considering becoming more involved in other group projects such as the school play which they wouldn’t have done before.

Finished banners

Here are some of the completed banners in detail:

Banners in Action

We took the banners up and down the valley throughout 2022, where they joined in parades and decorated events in Monmouth, Ross-on-Wye, Redbrook, Hereford and Tintern.

About Nichola:

Nichola Goff is a multi-disciplinary printmaker, facilitator and Arts, Health & Wellbeing practitioner based in the lower Wye Valley. Nichola works with printmaking, drawing, photography, installation and collaboration with others to explore the themes in her practice; human connection to place, ecology and social justice.

Nichola takes her inspiration from a background in environmental and social justice campaigning as well as training in fine art printmaking and an MA in Arts, Health and Wellbeing. Nichola enjoys working with raw materials from a landscape and hand-processes to generate dialogue about sustainability, regenerative practice and slow living.

Nichola is working as a freelance practitioner and tutor out of her studio, The Yard Print Studio, in Drybrook in the Forest of Dean.

See more of Nichola’s work on her website

Watch Nichola processing earth pigments for screenprinting inks.

Contact Nichola at nichola.wvrf@gmail.com