Wishing everyone a wonderful festive season and a happy 2023!
I’m having some much needed time until 3rd January, visiting family up North, old friends in London and making mince pies to pass on to all – friends, family and neighbours, in memory of my Grandma, who taught me so much about kinship.
This winter I’m reading Femina, by Jamina Ramirez, Robin, A Biography, by Stephen Moss, plus Fifty Words for Snow by Nancy Campbell. Plus, we have children’s books such as Tyger by SF Said (a parable for our times), Susan Cooper’s classic The Dark Is Rising sequence and these beautiful short stories retold by Lari Don, read or listened to at home on audible (in onesies and under duvets!).
Here’s some news about what to expect in 2023.
Art is the Fire Warming Our Hands
This socially engaged poetry commission from the National Centre for Writing is being shared for the first time by them in mid January. The title was partly inspired by the firepit at khuril dagun – Aboriginal Knowledge Centre at the State Library Queensland, Australia and the poem features encounters with art all over the world, the UK and, of course, across the East, Norfolk and the East coast (which has some of the most successful models of collaborative, community-led art making in the UK).
Later in early Summer 2023, a special print edition of the poem is being published by National Centre for Writing and shared at a writing workshop I’m facilitating inspired by the themes of the commission at Dragon Hall, as part of National Centre for Writing’s event, Stories from the Quarter – what is the impact of art on the frontline of communities? What’s the value of art in current times? Watch this space for more details.
Success & Support from Love The Broads
Very grateful to Love The Broads and The Broads Trust for funding costs towards a commission from the Broads Authority, creating educational packs to be distributed throughout schools and educators in Norfolk, that include an ‘eels and ladders’ board game inspired by an illustrated version of my poem (written with support from Arts Council England) The Last Eel on Earth. The packs are being shared as part of World Eel Day (see below) and will be raising awareness about the European Eel as a species, its extraordinary journey and challenges such as illegal eel trafficking. Suitable for KS1-2 and for eel lovers! Illustrated by Bronwen Vaughan.
World Eel Day
Very happy to be curating a World Eel Day in May 2023. Watch out for a call out in January for events to be added to the programme which is partnered with Plymouth University – from talks, workshops and discussions, exhibitions and music – a global platform to help create discussion and support for eel, related biodiversity and ecosystems. All welcome to submit ideas – inspired by all species of eel.
Natural Wonder Character Trail
This fantastic, free outdoor character trail is currently being booked for usage by groups across Norfolk in 2023. Commissioned by the Broads Authority, it’s a twenty piece trail that features biodiversity and heritage inspired characters from my Arts Council England supported Natural Wonder poetry series which is being shared as a poetry trail across Norfolk from Easter 2023. Each disc is beautifully illustrated with a descriptive word, to assist with handwriting, literacy and engagement with the poems, literature, science and geography. It’s also just fun!
Suitable for families, children, schools and groups, to be used outdoors across Norfolk – there’s also scope to request to use the trail on a nature reserve on The Broads National Park.
For full information and to book the trail, do email me on ruthie@ruthiecollins.co.uk
Natural Wonder holiday fun
Watch out for holiday clubs inspired by the magic of the natural landscape in Norfolk, coming in 2023! Children will be able to take part in fun games, poetry writing and reading, exploring habitats and biodiversity, plus taking part in practical conservation activities such as wildflower seed planting to help pollinators. These clubs will be free to children in recipient of free school meals and happening at selected nature reserves and venues in Norfolk, in Easter / Summer 2023. Subject to funding, but we will know by mid February what places will be available for Easter.
Farewell to the Cary’s Meadow Fairy Doors
These literary fairy doors on Cary’s Meadow (nature reserve on The Broads National Park) are being removed for a well earned festive break over the Christmas holidays and are aiming to return with the launch of my Natural Wonder poetry series and trail in Easter 2023. You can still enjoy all the poems and stories written with me by children on the Natural Wonder website.
Thanks for the support in 2022 and here’s to a happy 2023 full of restoration, creativity, magic and wonder.
