Working in partnership for the people of Herefordshire
Water Weave
The Water Weave project was run by the Eardisland River Festival Group, which had been running a small annual local festival for three years. The Water Weave project was looking to expand upon the work of this festival that had already been done.The project aimed to encourage communities to develop stimulating and enterprising new uses of their river resource. Through enhancing knowledge and talent locally, and bringing renewed energy to facilitate a whole new way of looking at the rivers that link rural communities.
One of the Group’s primary objectives was to use the rivers as a route or link between a number of villages (Pembridge, Titley, Aymestry, Kingsland, Kington, Eardisland and Lucton) and develop a dialogue between each community. Each village involved was encouraged to take part and create the type of event that suits them best.
Ideas for inclusion in festivals included:
- Kinetic arts trails
- Children’s workshops
- Sending messages downstream to the next village
- Workshops will take on ecological and festival-related themes, as well as wildlife, cultural heritage and arts-based activities and learning. Although some of these workshops will be available to the general public, some may only be taken into the local schools.
This 15-month project was the beginnings of a three-year strategy of linking the communities along the stretches of the Arrow and Lugg, with the annual Eardisland Festival closing the series of workshops for each season.
Benefits of this project included:
- Raising the identities of each village involved
- Enhancement of the local population’s pride and sense of place
- Communities celebrating their heritage
- Gained knowledge of local areas
- Inclusive festival fun for residents and visitors alike
- Attraction of greater tourism and additional revenue for local businesses
Chris Bates
Eardisland River Festival Group
Summer House
Kingsland
Herefordshire
HR6 9RZ
Tel: 07751 122334