Last week we launched our national arts programme, Nature Calling. This is a milestone for us as an Association on our journey to celebrate the connection between art and landscape and to unlock the power of the arts to better define and capture the real value of nature and natural beauty. I’m personally very passionate about the role of the arts in delivering our vision for beautiful thriving places that all people can feel a part of.

Why? Because landscape is place as perceived by people. Perception is individual and cultural. We create our own response to place, meaning we in fact are creators of our own unique landscapes.

The Landscape Review of 2019 rightly called out the lack of diversity in the environment sector and in those who engage with and have a voice in the leadership and decision making in National Landscapes and National Parks. This is a result of, and perpetuated by, the perception of place and what is important and valuable being defined and driven by a narrow and ‘traditional’ set of cultural values, not representative of a diverse and multi-cultural nation.

Where, then, does the legitimacy for claiming ‘national’ landscapes come from?

Art has long been – always? - a force which has defined and de-coded landscape. A means to respond, relate, understand and communicate our sense of place. The National Landscapes Association and some of the National Landscapes have been exploring for a number of years how art can broaden and enrich a meaningful connection between people and place.

The Association commissioned Activate Performing Arts to develop an Art in the Landscape Strategy, which was adopted by our Board and by many of the National Landscapes Partnerships, to both raise the profile and guide our efforts in this space. Nature Calling is a product of this Strategy.

Art is a means whereby people can connect to place on their terms. Defining their relationship through their own lens, their own unique cultural experiences and values. In turn, this art can influence those whose voice and power dominates the sector. Challenging norms, tropes, and ways of working.

Working with art and artists is a means of discovering and appreciating a richer understanding of what is important and special in these landscapes. These national landscapes.