Puppets with Guts and Darent Valley Landscape Partnership Scheme present
Animated Landscapes, a diverse programme of workshops and events
happening across the Darent Valley from May-June 2022 encouraging
communities to discover new ways of animating and interpreting their local
landscape.
Animated Landscapes was developed by ground-breaking outdoor arts
company Puppets with Guts, commissioned by Darent Valley Landscape
Partnership Scheme as part of its Inspired Palmer Landscapes project, and
supported by Kent Downs AONB, Arts Council England and the National Lottery
Heritage Fund.
The programme includes an outdoor art installation, a series of nature-based
creative workshops and a performance from spectacular 4M-high big puppet
Gnomus.
Photographer: Summer Dean and Andre Pattenden
If our landscapes could speak, what stories would they tell? From Sevenoaks to
Dartford, the chalk riverbeds, lavender fields and ancient woodlands of the Darent
Valley tell an inspiring story of adaptability and resilience, so listen up…
Puppets with Guts and Darent Valley Landscape Partnership Scheme presents
Animated Landscapes, a diverse programme of events and activities happening in
the Darent Valley that celebrate and observe our relationship with nature,
reconnecting communities with their local landscapes.
Learn what a healthy landscape is and the challenges it faces through one of our
workshops or hear stories of the plants, trees and rivers around you from our giant
Caretaker of the Landscape, Gnomus. Drawing on two years of conversations, field
trips and research with cultural geographers, environmentalists and artists, get
involved both online and in-person with this unique celebration of the Darent
Valley’s stunning natural heritage.
Gnomus: Caretaker of the Landscape
Dates: 28 & 29 May 2022
Gather round! Gnomus, gigantic Caretaker of the Landscape, has awoken from his
slumber deep in the hills of the Darent Valley. Come listen to his stories about how
you can take care of the plants, trees and rivers that make up your home. Gnomus
is a big puppet who performs throughout the day to families. He most recently
performed at Stonehenge and has also made appearances at Kew Gardens and
Leonardslee Enchanted. Recommended for ages 6+.
28 May – Otford Fete, Otford Recreation Grounds – between 11pm to 4pm.
29 May – The Great Big Platinum Jubilee Party for Kids, Dartford Central Park
Bandstand – between 12pm to 5pm.
ReFRAMING Landscapes Outdoor Art Installation: Big Picture Frames
Dates: 28 & 29 May 2022
As spring turns to summer in the Darent Valley, three Big Picture Frames will appear
in the landscape…
Venture out to our ReFrame installations, a series of giant picture frames
embedded in outdoor spaces across the Darent Valley. Grab a ReFRAME pack, join
our ReFRAME workshop and learn how to explore the intricate health and
geography of your local landscape through colour.
28 May – Otford Fete, Otford Recreation Grounds – between 11pm to 4pm.
29 May – The Great Big Platinum Jubilee Party for Kids, Dartford Central Park
Bandstand – between 12pm to 5pm.
ReFRAMED Workshops
Dates: May – June 2022
Location: Various
What colours, shapes and textures can be found in the Darent Valley landscape?
Why is the landscape the colour that it is and why does it change?
What can we learn by looking more closely at the environment in which we live?
Discover your local landscape’s colour palette in this free workshop, created for adults in
the Darent Valley area. Learn from a professional artist how to ReFRAME your
environment and create your very own Darent Valley picture frame.
Led by artist and geographer Elaine Hartley, you’ll watch informative videos, partake in
outdoor activities, and develop creative ideas. The workshop is 2-3 hours long, and will be
led in person. You can also access the workshop materials online here:
puppetswithguts.com/shows/reframe-workshop/
Pick up a free ReFRAME craft pack from the DVLPS office – get in touch: https://darentvalley.org.uk/about-us/contact-us/
What The River Says and Sings Workshops
Dates: May – June 2022
Location: Various
What The River Says and Sings is an unique opportunity to explore and understand more
about the local river environment through creating your own artistic impression of the
River Darent using words, poetry, and song. Throughout the workshop you will observe a
river’s different qualities, to determine whether or not it is a healthy river, and what can
influence this.
You can access the workshop materials online here: puppetswithguts.com/shows/whatthe-river-says-and-sings/
About Puppets with Guts
Puppets with Guts make extraordinary big puppets, animating public spaces with
spectacular shows that illuminate contemporary society. From greenfield festivals and
urban parades, to heritage attractions and town halls, botanic gardens, forests, theatres
and film sets, our shows excel at transforming spaces with their audacious and
subversive style of performance.
Website: www.puppetswithguts.com
Facebook: /puppetswithguts
Twitter: @puppetswithguts
Instagram: @puppetswithguts
About Darent Valley Landscape Partnership Scheme
The Darent Valley Landscape Partnership Scheme is an exciting large-scale partnership,
working to conserve and enhance the distinctive heritage landscapes of the Darent Valley
and to connect people to the Valley to help us conserve it for the future.
Website: https://darent-valley.org.uk/
Facebook: /DVLPS
Twitter: @Darent_Valley
Event link: puppetswithguts.com/shows/animated-landscapes/
Dates: May – June 2022
Location: The Darent Valley, Kent, Various
Press Contact: Lara Costello – lara@puppetswithguts.com
Animated Landscapes
