Red River: Listening to a Polluted River was an 18-month research project led by Dr John Wedgwood Clarke of the University of Exeter. It explores how creative writing can transform our relationship to a polluted, post-industrial river through listening to the human and non-human voices that have shaped, and continue to shape, its course. Artists working on the project include poet and academic John Wedgwood Clarke, visual artist Naomi Frears, artist-chef Mollie Goldstrom and sound artist Rob Mackay. Field Notes programmed a number of public events to share the complex impact of human activity on the ecology of the Red River. A series of walks took place along its banks over the summer of 2021, and a series of sharing events have taken place since at CAST in Helston, Tate St Ives and Kresen Kernow.
Photo: Jasper Fell-Clark
CONTEXT
The Red River rises among neolithic standing stones on the moors above Camborne and flows through a valley that has been worked for tin since at least Roman times, collecting mineral waste and sediments and finally emerging into the clear waters of St Ives Bay at Gwithian.
Although only 7.5miles in length, and little more than a stream, it passes through a remarkably diverse physical and cultural landscape. Given its centrality to the Industrial Revolution in Cornwall, and the development of hard-rock mining around the world—it flows through part of a UNESCO World Heritage mining site—the Red River’s sediments are rich in stories and ecology that reveal the human and non-human legacies of heavy industry. It even contains a unique sub-species of trout that has evolved to live in its polluted water, a life form that may be considered as much an artefact of tin-mining as the Cornish engine-houses on the slopes around its banks: mining is in its genes.
John Wedgwood Clarke grew up in West Penwith and swam in the red waters that once spilled out visibly into St Ives Bay.
Although only 7.5miles in length, and little more than a stream, it passes through a remarkably diverse physical and cultural landscape. Given its centrality to the Industrial Revolution in Cornwall, and the development of hard-rock mining around the world—it flows through part of a UNESCO World Heritage mining site—the Red River’s sediments are rich in stories and ecology that reveal the human and non-human legacies of heavy industry. It even contains a unique sub-species of trout that has evolved to live in its polluted water, a life form that may be considered as much an artefact of tin-mining as the Cornish engine-houses on the slopes around its banks: mining is in its genes.
John Wedgwood Clarke grew up in West Penwith and swam in the red waters that once spilled out visibly into St Ives Bay.
Photo: Jasper Fell-Clark
COMMISSIONS
Project lead Dr John Wedgwood Clarke has written a new long poem inspired by the river, Red River: A River in Pieces. The project also included commissions by composer, sound artist and performer Rob Mackay, visual artist and Naomi Frears. As part of Field Notes’ role as producers we commissioned artist-chef Mollie Goldstrom to record and respond to the programme of public walks. We also invited three recent graduates to make creative responses: visual artist Beth Clayton and photographers Jasper Fell-Clark and Harvey Gorst, the photographers also documented four public walks that took place along the river.
EVENTS
As part of Red River: Listening to a Polluted River, Field Notes were commissioned to programme a series of events.
Over summer 2021, Dr John Wedgwood Clarke led a series of four public walks that traced the length of the river from source to mouth, accompanied by a number of invited guests including artists and local experts. Then in October, the Red River Stannary convened at CAST, in Helston, celebrating this unique body of water through a day of poetry, talks, screenings and discussions. After the day’s events artist-chef Mollie Goldstrom presented a series of culinary delights based on her research into the history of the red river and its environs.
In April 2022, John was invited to share aspects of the Red River project at Tate St Ives as part of their ‘Last Weekend’ event for a Thao Nguyen Phan exhibition. The sound work created by John and Rob Mackay was installed in the Loggia and John read sections of the poem in the galleries and Noami Frear’s work was screened. We took over the Clore Learning Space with a display of documentation from the project including a first showing of one of Mollie Goldstrom’s illustrative maps, large scrolls of poetry and a special edition letter press print produced by Utter & Press. Within the installation John hosted in conversation events with Naomi Frears and The Red River Rescuers.
On Saturday 3rd February a final sharing event will take place at the Kresen Kernow archive centre in Redruth. Mollie Goldstrom will share her research, John Wedgwood Clarke will lead writing workshops, Naomi Frears will lead mono-printing sessions and the day will conclude with the launch of a new artist book which combines poetry by John Wedgwood Clarke and art work by Naomi Frears.
Full documentation can be found on redriverpoetry.com
Over summer 2021, Dr John Wedgwood Clarke led a series of four public walks that traced the length of the river from source to mouth, accompanied by a number of invited guests including artists and local experts. Then in October, the Red River Stannary convened at CAST, in Helston, celebrating this unique body of water through a day of poetry, talks, screenings and discussions. After the day’s events artist-chef Mollie Goldstrom presented a series of culinary delights based on her research into the history of the red river and its environs.
In April 2022, John was invited to share aspects of the Red River project at Tate St Ives as part of their ‘Last Weekend’ event for a Thao Nguyen Phan exhibition. The sound work created by John and Rob Mackay was installed in the Loggia and John read sections of the poem in the galleries and Noami Frear’s work was screened. We took over the Clore Learning Space with a display of documentation from the project including a first showing of one of Mollie Goldstrom’s illustrative maps, large scrolls of poetry and a special edition letter press print produced by Utter & Press. Within the installation John hosted in conversation events with Naomi Frears and The Red River Rescuers.
On Saturday 3rd February a final sharing event will take place at the Kresen Kernow archive centre in Redruth. Mollie Goldstrom will share her research, John Wedgwood Clarke will lead writing workshops, Naomi Frears will lead mono-printing sessions and the day will conclude with the launch of a new artist book which combines poetry by John Wedgwood Clarke and art work by Naomi Frears.
Full documentation can be found on redriverpoetry.com
Extracts from Red River: a river in pieces, displayed at Tate St Ives April 2022.
FUNDERS AND PARTNERS
Red River: Listening to Polluted River is supported by funds from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the University of Exeter and produced in partnership with CAST Cornwall, Heartlands, Literature Works and Kernow Education Arts Partnership (KEaP). The project is also supported by National Trust, The Poetry Society, Westcountry Rivers Trust, King Edward Mine Museum and the Red River Rescuers. The final sharing event at Kresen Kernow is supported by FEAST.
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info@fieldnotes.org.ukThe development of this website was supported by Cultivator Cornwall
