Isle of Wight National Landscape Partnership launch new creative opportunity
Absorb and Respond: A call for new voices, perspectives and audiences. Isle of Wight National Landscape is part of Nature Calling, a national project involving 34 National Landscapes in England and funded by DEFRA (Department of Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs) and Arts Council England.
Two commissions are available:
1 – Writers commission £2,000
2 – Video/motion artist or filmmaker commission £3,000
Writers commission
Isle of Wight National Landscape are inviting proposals from writers from any writing discipline – poetry, song, prose, rap, song, play; ideally you will be new to nature writing with an interest in the Island’s nature, heritage, culture or wildlife.
The project is about new perspectives of nature, place and people and the commission involves responding to a specific part of the landscape. Writers’ will need to visit the place, explore habitats, discover locally import species, share and discuss ideas with others, and write a piece, distinctive to it.
A video artist/filmmaker will document the process and create their own response to the work produced.
The final work will be shared online by the Isle of Wight National Landscape team, The National Landscapes Association and will feature on the Nature Calling website and social media channels.
Video/motion artist or filmmaker commission
A project commission inspired by the writing is available for video artists, film makers and motion artists. Commissioning funds are available for artists from a range of motion disciplines to create a short recording of the development of the writing commission and a separate creative response to the writer’s commission.
The Isle of Wight NL are inviting proposals for the commission of interpretive, site-specific video work or site responsive temporary installation artworks (performance, sculptural or digital) in the Isle of Wight National Landscape designation.
The final output of the work will be a video or film, shared online by the Isle of Wight National Landscape team, The National Landscapes Association and will feature on the Nature Calling website and social media channels.
Who is this project for?
Isle of Wight NL are looking for a higher number of writers, artists and filmmakers from the global majority for the commissions. Applicants must be Isle of Wight residents.
The sharing and discussing of ideas is an important part of the project, potential applicants will be required to talk about their creative process with others.
Additional access funds
There is a small access fund available. Please fill in the section on the application form or email unit@isleofwight-nl.org.uk for help.
Existing collectives or collaborations
Although joint applications from writers and video artists/film makers who have worked together on previous collaborative projects is allowed we would like we see new collaborations develop through this project. Writers and video artists/filmmakers are welcome to apply together if they wish to co-create a project.
How to apply
Go to the Microsoft Forms page to fill in the application form. If you have any questions please email unit@isleofwight-nl.org.uk.
Key dates
The project will run from June to October 2025
Commission launched: 2nd May
Deadline to apply by: 25th May
Writers commission begins: 9th June
Video Artist/ Film Maker commission begins: 9th June
Project ends: October 2025
Further project information
Nature Calling is a ground-breaking national project, that will commission an exceptional, diverse range of artists to explore and celebrate nature and our National Landscapes (formerly known as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty). Specifically designed to listen to communities and ensure our landscapes are a place for everyone, Nature Calling is inviting writers and artists to respond to this brief, for a programme that culminates in a season between May and October 2025.
This is a nationally significant project, bringing the special qualities of our National Landscapes to the fore, and creating opportunities for artists and communities to respond to Nature Calling.
Find out more about Nature Calling and the commissioned artists – Nature Calling | Home
National Landscapes
There are 46 National Landscapes in the UK, and this project works with the 34 located in England. These are places with national importance, protected for the nation’s benefit, and cared for by local teams with a deep understanding of the distinctive web of interconnecting factors that make these places special.
The National Landscapes Association provides a strong voice for the nation’s National Landscapes – places so special they have been designated in the national interest.
National Landscapes are living places. An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is a landscape designation and caring for natural beauty is about so much more than habitat management. Landscape is made up of geology, landform, history, human influence, cultural heritage and wildlife.
So much of the work of National Landscapes is defined in policy or scientific terms, but instinctively, our experience of place is personal, measured by our emotional response. Artists have been inspired by landscape throughout history and artworks have in turn helped us to discover, appreciate and share a greater understanding of natural beauty.
National Landscapes are very lucky to have a loyal existing audience. People fall in love with National Landscapes and continue to visit throughout their lives, and we hope that the new audiences engaged through Nature Calling will continue to visit, enjoy and care for the long-term when the project ends.
However, there are significant barriers for some, and we are aware that people from certain backgrounds are underrepresented in National Landscapes, as visitors, residents, members of staff teams and within our governance structures, as highlighted in the Landscapes Review, written by Julian Glover for the Government.
These groups include people from the global majority, people from underserved groups, neurodiverse people, people with reduced mobility, people from the LGBTQIA+ community, Under 25’s and people from urban areas.
As a network, the National Landscapes and the National Landscapes Association want to ensure that wherever we can, we work to remove these barriers. Everyone should be able to enjoy and celebrate beautiful places. There is much more to do, but the journey has begun. The new National Landscapes brand has been designed to be as accessible as possible, with input from underserved groups. There are great examples of work by National Landscapes teams to remove barriers and Nature Calling is a significant national programme that aims to engage the public in National Landscapes, creatively.