Mapping Marton Wood is a slow art project led by Chrysalis Arts Development based in North Yorkshire. The project is funded by Arts Council England and National Lottery Community Fund. Mapping Marton Wood weaves together ecology and art, bringing artists, ecologists and the public together to explore a 6.6 hectare, local woodland. Alongside the activities, we’ll be sharing what we learn and our approaches to stimulate wider creative engagement with our planet’s precious environmental resources.

Sound & Data

Rob Mackay and Simon Pickles

Rob Mackay is an award-winning composer, sound artist and performer. In May 2024 he began a residency and collaboration with the North and East Yorkshire Ecological Data Centre (NEYDEC). Working alongside Director Simon Pickles, the two will spend the year gathering data on the Wood while Rob records and develops a sound piece and performance. From a tree’s roots to it’s canopy, the soil tothe inside of trees, their recording of Marton Wood will create a map unlike any other.

‘I've really enjoyed working on the project. Working with Simon has been an inspiration, as he is so knowledgeable, but also as equally inspired and fascinated by the sounds of the wood as I am. You could say Marton Wood in many ways is fairly unremarkable, an every-wood. But visiting it time and time again has revealed the wonder of the every day with so much wildlife and activity packed into its few acres. We've been able to listen to the richness of the dawn and evening choruses, as well as revealing sounds usually hidden to human ears such as bats, and the sounds of insects inside the trees.' – Rob Mackay

Alongside their research and work, Rob and Simon have also been running workshops in the local community and with Knaresborough-based charity Orb Arts. 

Visual Artists

Rebecca Chesney and David Haley

Rebecca Chesney and David Haley are artists based in the North of England. Both artists have a long history of working with Chrysalis Arts, and will be co-designing a  project together with the Chrysalis team. Alongside this, they are each developing proposals for a commissioned work. So far, they have explored and researched the wood with ecologists and met with the team to develop ideas.  

‘I was fascinated by the idea of Marton Wood being described as ‘unremarkable’. It’s not designated as a site of outstanding natural beauty, nor is it a must-see visitor destination. However, it’s profound interest for me is that it is a commonplace, everyday wood that was just another field until sometime in the 1850s, when someone decided to turn it into a wood… something that they would probably not live long enough to see. And it now provides the potential for us to creatively learn how to live with Nature. I am, therefore, engaged in a kind of dialogue with the wood, local people, Chrysalis Arts Development and the other project artists to explore our relationships. This may lead to a ‘storymap’, to complete the series of maps in the Memorial Hall in Marton cum Grafton. It may become an installation of small stories and a video of a walk in the wood with a soundtrack of people’s thoughts. Finally, for me the question remains; ‘what’s in it for the wood?’ – David Haley

‘On my second trip I visited with scientist Serena Turton-Hughes whose specialism is looking at trees as microhabitats and she helped reveal the hidden and over-looked within the wood. We spotted tiny pearls of white bobbly slime mould and the many types and colour of fungi: orange dots on decaying twigs; black spotted patterns up the bark of dead trees; and tones of bronze, pearl and chocolate brown of the bracket fungus protruding from trunks and branches. And it’s these patterns and colours I’m beginning to use to inspire and develop new works, highlighting the minute but vital organisms of the wood.’ – Rebecca Chesney

Sue Harrison

Sue Harrison is a textile artist who has been deeply involved with our Marton Wood project since its beginnings.

From 2022-23 a small group of artists explored the wood in guided walks with ecologists and specialists. Sue Harrison, alongside Artist Laney Birkhead, went on to lead community workshops and create collaborative works with residents. 

'My time with this project and CAD has been a process of immersion and self revelation. With every visit I have found that different senses, memories and connections have begun to emerge.' – Sue Harrison

In 2024, we invited this group of artists to submit proposals, and Sue Harrison was chosen to create a piece. Sue is planning on creating a visual representation of Rob Mackay’s sound piece.  

'I intend to render the invisible sounds visible through the medium of stitch, thereby mapping the various sonograms being recorded, resulting in a ‘Score for Marton Wood’' – Sue Harrison

Community

As a core part of the project, Chrysalis is bringing artists and ecologists into the community to run workshops, guided walks, and sessions that combine art and ecology together. The sessions and activities follow on from our positively received community events during the Marton Wood Pilot Programme.

'Another thing I've really enjoyed about working with CAD has been their commitment to community engagement as well as bringing together different artists and an ecologist to map the wood in a number of different and revealing ways.' – Rob Mackay

‘It's been great to educate my kids about nature and art and to think differently about what art is.’ – Community Participant

Schools

Across the 2024-25 school year, we’ll be bringing artists into local schools, including Marton cum Grafton Primary. Sound Artist Rob Mackay has already led sessions on exploring sound and sound composition. There will also be sessions with Artist Jane Carlisle Bellerby who specialises in textiles and mixed media art.

Local Residents

In the immediate village of Marton cum Grafton, we are offering a series of free community events for residents of all ages to take part in. So far we have run a community open day in the local Memorial Hall. These open days, give people the chance to chat with and learn from artists involved with the project, have a go at creating their own art as well as explore Marton Wood through a sound walk and learn about the ecology of the area. 

‘We had a fab sound walk in there yesterday with Rob Mackay and Chrysalis Arts – fascinating, inspiring and thought provoking! And great to hear all those little insects munching away!’ – Lizzie Shepherd, Sound Walk with  Rob Mackay

Artist Jane Carlisle Bellerby has begun running two specialist textile sessions with the local Women’s Institute/Markers Group. They’ve started by exploring her process of creation from inspiration, through to sketching, and then the physical making.  

‘loved building relationships - sewing with my mum and daughter. My daughter tried sewing for the first time!’  – Open Day Participant

‘I loved trying this - it was so relaxing and a lovely sociable activity’ – Open Day Participant

Coming up, we have an ecological walk with a Fungi specialist, Andy Woodall in November this year. Andy is a fungi expert, ecologist and past President of the Mid–Yorkshire Fungus Group.

These will be followed by a further open community event later in the project.

Orb Arts

Knaresborough-based charity Orb Arts  promotes positive mental health and provides better life opportunities to those experiencing poor mental health through engagement in creative activities, learning, performance and volunteering. We’re holding sessions with Orb where participants can both experience the wood itself with an ecologist  as well as get creative in artistic sessions. We’ve already begun holding Autumn sessions, which will be followed by more in late Winter/Early Spring.

‘Working with the Orb Community Group, and sharing my experiences has resulted in us making ‘ Felted Map Books’. Abstract designs capture our individual observations reflecting personal journeys in this time and place.’ - Sue Harrison, Workshop Leader

Libraries

In early 2025, we will bring Marton Wood into local libraries. Through creative sessions with artists, free activity packs for the community and a touring exhibition further down the line. The activity packs will be inspired by our hugely popular Art & Nature Activity Packs, which are still available to download for free online. Working with libraries has been an important part of Chrysalis’ work in the past decade, they are an integral part of their locales and an ideal place to reach residents and offer creative exploration. 

Symposium & Exhibition

In  Spring/Early Summer 2025, the project will culminate in an exhibition of works created, as well as a symposium bringing together what we’ve learned with the knowledge of other artists working in slow art.  We’ll share more information on  these soon. 

Further Information

The project has developed out of our initial Marton Wood Pilot Programme which took places from 2022–23. The woodland has been leased to Chrysalis Arts for ten years from North Yorkshire County Council.

A special thanks to our funders, Arts Council England and National Lottery Community Fund. We would also like to thank all of our project collaborators and co-designers mentioned above.