Nenescape Project Spotlight: 900 Voices of the Nene
20 Jun 2019
Exploring and capturing photography, art, film, and memories from along the River Nene, from Peterborough to Northampton. 900 Voices is bringing the story of the Nene Valley to life.
Our Heritage Lottery-funded Nenescape Landscape Partnership is
a diverse and multifaceted project. As well as vital restoration and conservation
across the Nene Valley, Nenescape is also investing in and promoting grants,
festivals, events, arts and culture.
As part of a new blog series highlighting the many strands
of this important partnership, we’ll be exploring the different projects and activities
that make up this vibrant project. This week, we’re focusing on 900 Voices of
the Nene, giving local communities and individuals who live and work in the Nene
catchment a place to shine.
900 Voices of the Nene is just one of these projects. Set up in January
2018, as part of Peterborough Celebrates 900, 900 Voices is a collection of
stories, images, music, poetry and short films that all relate to life along
the River Nene or celebrate the beauty of the area. This collection has been
pulled together into a digital archive to serve as a snapshot of what the River
Nene means to people and communities in the area at this time in history.
A Virtual Nene Experience
Perhaps the crowning jewel of this dazzling collection, is a stunning downloadable digital installation created by 900 Voices contributor, Andy Campbell, owner of the One to One Development Trust, using cutting-edge 3D graphics to interpret the riverbanks of the Nene and the surrounding countryside.
The installation cleverly incorporates a curated selection of stories, contributions, and other materials from the project archive, represented as digitised paper boats. With interactive games and featuring a wide variety of the wonderful wildlife that call the Nene their home, the installation is an artistic and peaceful meditation on the River Nene and surrounding communities.
Stanwick Lake at Sunset, captured by John Abbott
Swimmers taking a dip, back in 1900, from the Oundle School Archive.
Explore the Nene
The 900 Voices of the Nene Website is a searchable treasure trove of stories and resources, and can be explored using a digital map, or from a range of collections and categories. Anyone and everyone can contribute to the archive, and the collection includes submissions from businesses, schools, charities, local artists and photographers, and Nene residents from Peterborough to Northampton.
Get Involved
If you’re inspired by the River Nene, have a story to tell, or just want to help us celebrate the beauty of life in the Nene Valley in your own, unique way, Nenescape invites you to get involved. This could be as simple as downloading the installation or sharing the archive on social media, or go further by submitting your own contribution, or joining forces with some of the hard-working organisations featured in the archive.
Browse the 900 Voices of the Nene archive and submit your contributions at 900voicesofthenene.co.uk
To find out more about our Nenescape Landscape Partnership, and all current activities, events, and projects, visit nenescape.org.
