Chilterns to play major role in £2m ground-breaking national art project

Nature Calling is a first for National Landscapes because of its size, scope and the level of investment. It aims to inspire communities across England to connect with National Landscapes, increasing their access to nature, improving their wellbeing and inspiring a sense of belonging in these special places.  

“Throughout time, our greatest artists have been inspired by England’s wonderful landscape,” said Darren Henley, chief executive of Arts Council England. “Now, we’re supporting a new generation of artists to bring to life their own awe-inspiring work in response to our natural environment”.

Working in partnership with Revoluton Arts, who will facilitate the production of the artists commissions and engage with the local community, the Chilterns National Landscape is focussing on communities in the Luton area, including Marsh Farm, Bury Park, Farley Hill and Lewsey. 

“We are excited to be one of the six hub landscapes selected for the Nature Calling project,” said Dr Elaine King, chief executive of the Chilterns National Landscape. “The Chilterns is a unique and highly accessible green lung for Southeast England and everyone should have the chance to experience its beauty and tranquillity. We recognise that inequalities exist in people’s access to greenspace and the countryside and see this project as an opportunity to engage more people and enable more people to come together to benefit from and celebrate all the Chilterns have to offer.” 

Nature Calling will bring together the 34 National Landscapes in England, local arts organisations, and community groups from within a 30-minute journey time. They will work together to co-create artworks inspired by these iconic places and the results will then be shared with the public in a Season of Art from May-October 2025. 

Taking inspiration from National Landscapes, writers will start the creative process with words in the form of poetry, song, prose or rap. Using these words, local communities will work with artists to co-create their presentation piece for the Season of Art. This could include dance, theatre, installation, digital, or music. 

Nature Calling is a partnership project between the National Landscapes Association, Activate Performing Arts, Poetry School and six National Landscapes that will operate as key hubs of activity, and is funded by Arts Council England, the Department for Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (Defra) and National Landscapes in England.