Season of innovative art on the Long Mynd and Stiperstones

Carding Mill Valley on the Long Mynd was the venue for a day to promote months of music, sculpture and theatre bound up with the south Shropshire landscape planned to take place between now and October.

The project, involving multiple artists working in different mediums, is called 'Heartland' and aims to explore "new ways of seeing and understanding the fragile Shropshire hills landscape".

Among the events planned are vocal workshops held on hilltops, visual artwork created from the natural surroundings themselves, and interactive theatre in a strange isolated "camp" with roles played by actors.

The project is being backed by Shropshire Hills AONB Partnership and the National Trust, which looks after Carding Mill Valley. The launch day took place between 11am and 3pm at the top car park in the valley.

Stephanie Hayes, Shropshire Hills AONB Partnership promotions officer, said: "This exciting arts project is based around the Long Mynd and Stiperstones.

"Three artists have created a programme of visual, musical and performance-based art to help people explore the history, the stories and the future of this beautiful rugged upland area and understand what part we humans can play in caring for it."

Those involved include Tony Plant, a 'site-specific' artist best known for creating vast organic patterns on beaches. This year he is leaving the beaches of Cornwall and heading inland to the Shropshire Hills to create new work in Carding Mill Valley during the spring and summer, as well as exploring the landscape in drawing and painting. He plans to create a series of small and large scale 'landscape interventions' lasting from a matter of hours to a season.

Composer and director Mary Keith works internationally with community singing groups, theatre companies and festivals, and is coming to the Shropshire hills to create new choral music inspired by the landscape and created in situ. She will be visiting various sites around rural south Shropshire to hold outdoor workshops on Sunday afternoons, running until the end of July.

Finally, West Midlands theatre group Stan’s Cafe will be setting up The Camp, playing time travellers from the past to help those joining them imagine what it may have been like to inhabit the land in the Iron Age.

The location for the interactive performance is yet to be announced, but will involve joining the family as they gather firewood and water, cook food, invent games and sleep under the stars with no idea of the modern world.

The Camp will be there between July 21 and 23 and visitors can even stay overnight if they book, though the event is free.

For more information on what's happening and when, visit heartlandshropshirehills.wordpress.com