This Guardian article reports the latest research findings that a two hour dose of nature per week significantly improves health and well-being - this follows a long line of research into the health benefits of green (and blue) spaces, nature and forests. Link to the article here
Naomi's workshop was an introduction to a method that she uses herself in her own work, people responded really well to this concept of highlighting what is cracked and flawed. It is a very beautiful concept, explained here: After spending the afternoon in the hall doing this immersive workshop working with paper in a very tactile and sensory rich way, I walked back into the studio and the first thing I saw was Chi's drawings out on the table, layered and ripped and crinkled and perfect:
Its hard not to notice the vertical buildings springing up in Manchester City Centre. A tram ride into the centre from the south of the city takes you through Cornbrook and Deansgate where the skyline is changing on an almost daily basis. Photographs: Howard Walmsley July 2019 This BBC radio program called Manhattan-chester explores some of the issues of the changing shape of our city - where the centre is now becoming a place of domestic living as well as nightlife and work - for our younger residents. It makes sense that younger people can be close to the places they go out in their evenings and weekends and can be car free using the public transport links. But how does this relate to Manc
I got such a lot out of it [the mindful photography workshop at Elizabeth Gaskell Garden and Swinton Grove Park - part of the Ruskin Celebration project that TLC St Lukes are taking part in at Elizabeth Gaskell's House]. It was a really mindful, absorbing experience that gave me time to really focus on the details of what was around us and the wonders of nature, noticing things that I had seen before but not in the same way. I enjoyed learning about composition and angles, and different ways of using the camera to create images that expressed the feeling of the place. I am used to pointing and shooting to quickly capture things and then move on. And this was the opposite, with lots of time.
More interesting articles on noise pollution and damage to our health - thanks to Naomi Davies for sending us these links: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jun/07/how-to-minimize-your-noise-footprint?CMP=share_btn_tw https://www.ted.com/talks/mathias_basner_why_noise_is_bad_for_your_health_and_what_you_can_do_about_it
Here are the poems from the last poetry session at St Luke's for this project. We still have the walking poetry event coming up on Tuesday 2nd July if you would like to join us do get in touch. LANZAROTE Adele Fowles The volcanic landscape of pinks and blacks and black gritty beaches and cacti and prickly pears and the big open sky. The crashing Atlantic ocean and waves smashing rocks and surging into caves, into everything, exhilarating, exciting and endlessly full. Garlicky squids and fishes and salty little potatoes and the taste of the freedom of space and the surfers on the waves in their time. and the feeling of rock underfoot and the longing and longing for only th
Read the whole article here on Brain Pickings: https://www.brainpickings.org/2019/05/27/oliver-sacks-gardens/
Are you listening to Forest 404 yet? Forest 404 is a BBC podcast - a thriller set in the future looking back to our 'Slow World' and hearing sounds that have long since disappeared... Each episode has an accompanying talk from different people on different perspectives about sounds and how they connect with our feelings, or how sounds exist in the natural world and what is the relationship between human sounds and our non-human sound environment? The themes of Forest 404 are very much the themes of this project. We are very excited to be listening to this podcast as we run our own project about the importance of green spaces and nature sounds for our mental health. Check it out:
HERE, THERE AND EVERYWHERE Len Listening through the open window to a first year soprano at the RN college. Falling asleep on the softest couch the Royal Exchange has to offer. Walking to the furthest tip of Oldham Street and coughing up the fumes. Observing the masses in the Arndale Centre, crawling over each other to get to the sales. Smelling petals I don’t know the name of in Chorlton cemetery. Crunching the path with the balls of my feet until they ache. Clowning with Jimmy’s son under the biggest oak tree in Heaton Park. Crowing with the birds at the edge of hole number 9. Howling with the dogs on Chorlton Ees at midnight. Sprinting with the kids