Artists and writers recruited for South Pennines project

Artists Sally Barker, Angie Rogers, Simon Warner and writers Andrew McMillan and Char March will be undertaking 40-day residencies as part of the three- year Watershed Landscape Project, which aims to promote landscape restoration, access and heritage projects in the area.

The project brings together various organisations working collectively to tell the story of the South Pennines Uplands.

It aims to improve understanding and access to the significant landscape while protecting and enhancing its importance as an internationally recognised habitat, heritage asset, space for inspiration and recreation and provider of natural resources.

The artists and writers selected offer a range of art forms including sculpture, poetry, printmaking, photography, writing and painting.

As well as being supported to develop their own practice and create new work in photography, literature and the visual arts, those selected for the residencies will be working with a variety of community groups, schools and families within the South Pennines through workshops.

It is hoped that a number of new groups will be encouraged and supported to explore the landscape through art and literature.

New work created by the artists and writers over the next three years will be celebrated in museum, gallery and community venues across the region.

Earlier this year Pennine Prospects (the Southern Pennines Regeneration Company) was awarded almost 1.9m by the Heritage Lottery Fund to bring the story of the Watershed Landscape to life.