New exhibition of artwork and words by Jackie Morris and Robert Macfarlane goes on display at The Sill in Northumberland

A new exhibition of work by Jackie Morris and Robert Macfarlane from their book, The Lost Spells, will be displayed from July 23rd 2022.

The Lost Spells: Listening to a Landscape of Voices is an immersive exhibition which features original artwork, soundscapes and interactive experiences to showcase original artworks by Jackie Morris alongside poems written by Robert Macfarlane, and allow visitors to create their own songs of nature using live recordings of wildlife.

A digital glossary featuring Jackie’s artwork from The Lost Spells will introduce wildlife native to the UK and Northumberland National Park, explaining more about their natural habitats.

A series of spoken word pieces, wild nature calls and acoustic music created by musicians from the Spell Songs ensemble will create an ambient soundscape which invites audiences to listen to what nature is telling us. The exhibition will also feature a recording of a song by vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and producer, Cosmo Sheldrake.

Artist, Jackie Morris, said: “It is more important than ever to listen to the many voices of the more than human creatures that share this land. The Sill is built in a place surrounded by wild lives…The swallows in The Lost Spells were drawn from birds nesting on the building next door, curlew call overhead, owls are close and the landscape is stunning.”

Writer, Robert Macfarlane, said: “The fabulously varied landscapes of the North East are close to my heart - so it’s a joy to see our book The Lost Spells at the centre of this brilliantly curated and original exhibition at The Sill. I hope that it will help visitors young and old to listen afresh to nature’s wild wonders… with whom we share the world.”

The exhibition is curated by The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre, which marks its 5th anniversary in 2022. The Sill hosts a range of exhibitions, programmes and events designed to connect people with the landscape, and is the gateway through which people can explore the unique and landscape of Northumberland National Park.

Sarah Burn, head of engagement at Northumberland National Park Authority, said: “It has been a privilege to explore Robert and Jackie’s work in fine detail and curate the latest exhibition for The Lost Spells. Together, they have reignited people’s passion for wildlife, nature and landscape around the UK.

“As well as being a celebration of their spellbinding work, this new exhibition is a chance for visitors to learn more about Britain’s native species, many of which can be found in Northumberland National Park, and how together we can protect them for future generations to enjoy.

“Inspired by the poems in The Lost Spells, which are designed to be read aloud, we’ve used audio throughout the exhibition to encourage visitors to listen to the sounds of nature and consider how habitat loss, climate change and our collective impact on biodiversity could see some of these sounds lost forever.”

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