NEW EXHIBITION - ‘Phenomenon’ the Lost Words and the Lost Spells unite
by artist Jackie Morris and author Robert Macfarlane at The Sill in Northumberland
Hello all,
We’re sharing wonderful news and more information on Northumberland National Parks this week. We hope you enjoy this inspiring update.
Claire and Beth
Culture Northumberland
Spellbound, a new exhibition featuring works of Jackie Morris and Robert Macfarlane offers visitors the chance to see a new selection from both celebrated exhibitions as one
The new exhibition will go on display at The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre, Northumberland National Park from Saturday 18 January
Artist Jackie Morris will be at The Sill for opening to meet visitors, book signing and live painting sessions in the exhibition
Two exhibitions based on the extraordinarily successful poetry books The Lost Words and The Lost Spells by artist Jackie Morris and author Robert Macfarlane, are going on display in Northumberland later this week as one new exhibition for the first time.
Spellbound unites The Lost Words with its highly acclaimed follow up The Lost Spells and is going on display at The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre in Northumberland National Park, on Saturday 18 January. The exhibition seeks to reconnect people with the natural world.
Described as a ‘cultural phenomenon,’* the Lost Words book was originally inspired by a 2016 report that found children knew more Pokémon characters than common UK wildlife. The Lost Spells took this concept further by invoking the magic of British wildlife in a time of climate, biodiversity, and wellbeing crises.
The new exhibition features selected pieces from both exhibitions and presents them as one new reworked display. It is being shown first at The Sill: Landscape Discovery Centre which is adjacent to panoramic views of Northumberland National Park landscape and local wildlife that has inspired Jackie’s works.
Artworks featured in the new presentation, include common species of wildlife in the UK, such as wren, red fox, king fisher, otter, barn owl and goldfinch, as well as flora of acorn, dandelion, conker, oak, and willow.
In addition, items that demonstrate Jackie Morris and Robert Macfarlane’s artistic process will be shown at The Sill, including original note and sketchbooks, and natural objects that inspired the works, including a nest and egg.
There will also be a recorded reading of some of Robert’s poems played and shown in the gallery space providing an ambient, immersive experience, and Spellbound themed children’s activities will be on offer.
Commenting on Spellbound, artist Jackie Morris, says:
“It is a wonderful thing for me to see these two exhibitions brought together with such vision at The Sill. It feels very much that the artwork is in its natural habitat, here where so many of the more than human lives celebrated in our books can be found. This is a landscape rich in both life and story.
“And the book was inspired by the editorial decision of Oxford University Press to remove certain words from the dictionary in 2007. A slow burn as it wasn’t until this was highlighted in Macfarlane’s Landmarks that the campaign grew to request a change of this editorial policy. From this grew this protest song in art and word.”
Connecting people with nature is a key aim of Northumberland National Park. Its flagship visitor centre, The Sill, acts as the gateway to explore this special and unique landscape of the National Park, which is home to many of the species featured in the exhibition.
Sarah Burn, Head of Engagement at Northumberland National Park says:
“As a National Park, it is our mission to celebrate, conserve, and enhance the wild beauty that surrounds us. Through these works, we invite people to remember the magic of our native species, to rediscover the wonder of landscapes alive with oak and ivy, kingfisher, and curlew. If we do not celebrate these creatures and speak their names, they risk vanishing not just from our language but from the world itself.
“Bringing Spellbound to The Sill is a call to take notice and take action to help protect and treasure these wonderful species and landscapes that are unique to our isle.”
In a further development, after the exhibition closes, Spellbound will be available to hire as a combined exhibition for the first time, or separately as The Lost Words or The Lost Spells, both of which have toured venues across the UK. Any organisations interested in hosting the exhibitions can contact exhibitions@nnpa.org.uk for more information.
Spellbound: The Lost Words and The Lost Words opens at The Sill on Saturday 18 January and runs until 6 April. On opening day, Jackie Morris will be in the gallery space, meeting visitors, signing books and painting in the space.
In addition, there will be several Spellbound themed craft and interest-led events at The Sill taking place throughout February, March, and April. All can be booked via the What’s On section of The Sill’s website.
Northumberland National Park Authority
Northumberland National Park is one of fifteen National Parks in the UK. Northumberland National Park Authority manages the National Park to ensure its core purposes are met, these are:
Conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife, and cultural heritage.
Promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of National Parks by the public.
Northumberland National Park Authority works closely with partner organisations to deliver projects which address climate change and support the natural and historic environments, as well as supporting thriving local communities and providing a welcoming National Park for everyone.
Key facts:
Officially designated in 1956, Northumberland National Park is home to England’s darkest skies, cleanest rivers, clearest air, and most tranquil spaces.
Northumberland National Park covers an area of 1,049km or 405 square miles.
It is the least populated of all the Parks in England and Wales with a population of under 2,000 people, making it England’s last wilderness.
The highest point in the National Park is The Cheviot, at 815m.
Northumberland National Park boasts a rich, historic environment from Hadrian’s Wall UNESCO World Heritage site to the Iron Age Hillforts in the Cheviots, Europe’s largest scheduled monument.
Northumberland National Park was voted as the best National Park in the UK in 2021 by Which? readers.
Follow Northumberland National Park on social media:
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/NlandNP/)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/northumberlandnationalpark/)
Twitter (https://twitter.com/NlandNP)
For further information, visit www.northumberlandnationalpark.org
The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre
The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre opened in 2017.
The Sill is a multi-award-winning building, funded and supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and is the result of an innovative partnership between Northumberland National Park and YHA England and Wales.
The Sill was built with accessibility at its heart, providing opportunities for people of all backgrounds and abilities with the opportunity to connect with landscape.
Within The Sill you will find a café and shop, exhibitions, and a fully accessible rooftop walk where you can enjoy spectacular views of the National Park.
The Sill’s learning and engagement programme works with schools, groups, and individuals to provide opportunities for people to connect with landscape, nature and the environment through arts, heritage, and culture.
Follow The Sill on social media:
Twitter (https://twitter.com/TheSillNland)
To find out further information, please visit www.thesill.org.uk