The Best Things In Life Aren’t Things

The Poly-Technic was invited to develop and deliver a participatory artwork to support Nene Park’s Green Festival, Peterborough. Ideas for this work grew out of our 2017 There is no wealth but life commission for the Planet B Festival and our ongoing interest in the work of Victorian critic John Ruskin. Outcomes included discussions, audio recordings, interactive posters and a sound piece shared wirelessly.

Within this work we generated opportunities for artists:
Katy Hawkins led a series of Wander With walks to encourage mindfulness, reflection on the city and the sharing of local knowledge.
Sandra Keating, a Peterborough born photographer, developed ‘snapped moments’ with Festival visitors and created an online visual essay.
Peterborough’s Poet Laureate Clare Currie wrote new poems shared in a reading, as a dissolvable poem and sound recording.
Ann Bellamy and the Jailbirds in Peterborough Prison, created hundreds of ‘seed pods’ given out during the day.
Alice Pool invited festival goers to select, paint and then skim their perfect stone from ones she’d collected.