Our launch is only a few weeks away! Watershed – A River’s Call to Action opens to the public on 1st May 2025 in the North Transept of St Albans Cathedral. The project is a response to the violation of our UK rivers by neglect and mismanagement, in particular the River Ver – a very special chalk stream – which has has been subjected to sewage dumping, with little respite, over the last year and beyond.
Our three-part installation brings together a huge woven willow sculpture, constructed from willow harvested this spring from the Ver; a 3x2m interactive video installation which transports visitors, immersed in sparkling watercourses, bobbing amongst sewage and everything in between; striking photographs with overlaid poetry give voice to our rivers and the conflicting demands put upon them.
Related events, organised as part of this month-long project, include a guided walk along the Ver combining a litter pick with an exploration of the river bank biodiversity. There will be schools events and A Watershed Debate: What Does the Future Hold for Our Waterways? This debate will bring together diverse voices, including Erica Popplewell, Campaigns Manager at River Action UK, Daisy Cooper MP, John Pritchard, chair of conservation group the Ver Valley Society and Dr Hilary Marlow, Canon Environmentalist, Fellow of Girton College, Cambridge and Trustee of A Rocha. Get your free ticket here.
Ibsen’s ever-apt An Enemy of the People will be showing at the Abbey Theatre during May.
On 15th May there is a special performance for the Ver Valley Society; tickets for this special performance here. General performances are 16th-24th May, tickets from the theatre box office.
This all flows into… London Rivers Week 2025, Friday 30th May to Sunday 8th June – a week-long annual campaign organised by Thames21, inspiring the public to celebrate all of London’s rivers and the many projects taking place to protect them.
