here, now

here, now, this place feels chilly

with the Wind rustling in the Leaves

layers of movement and sound changing constantly

like a cathedral

very loud

forests are meant to be without humans

so this is too loud

the Feather drifts in the wind

detritus from a flight of fancy now ended

frail Snail, shard of Bowl

will I survive in this place or be trampled underfoot?

my final resting place

the Trees and I, we create our own symphony together

I grew up playing in forests like these

it is technically my territory

brown, green, blue and white

feet, some slowly wondering, some eagerly stomping

Sticks and Stones, fallen from Trees

tools for playing

the smell of the River, the voice of the Leaves, the beauty

of my long lost home

like sharing with a group of unknown people

as I pass by here year after year

I see things change and build connections

with what I already know

and what I am yet to discover

the other way around is much more fun though

I may sting at first sight, but once we get acquainted,

I will share my calming, healing nature

I was taken by the Wind

metaphorically and metaphysically

that stopped my dance

but allowed the little animal to wander

Bumblebees appear wherever stories of them are told

a Chiffchaff sings their own name, always an introduction

are they maybe one and the same

different sides depending on the scenario?

burn something down and let everybody in the city see the smoke

but we need to obey the rule

we need to care

keeping silent and listening just to the Wind

and all other sounds that could come

from the place and surroundings

this feeling brings together

we need to help each other grow and protect ourselves

and order uber eats

and like a Bird flying from branch to branch

coming and going when they want

and the Wind itself that touches everybody

Things Make

Fresh Environment

Authors

A collaborative place-based story from Gateshead Riverside Park, crafted in place during the Memory Studies Association 7th Annual Conference, on Monday, 03 July 2023, between 14:00 and 16:00 BST, by Dina Abdelsalam, Molly Anderson, Niki Black, Lotte Dijkstra, Gianluca Fantoni, Kristina Gedgaudaite, Karma Kong, Eva Kwakman, C. Christina Lam, Javier Lizarzaburu, Agnes Malmgren, Timothy Martin, Ana María Rabe, Esther Schoorel, Jeanne-Ange Wagne, Chu Xu, Sharona Zilbershtein, Maria Zirra and the more-than-human beings and vibrant matterings present.

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HERE, NOW

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SO MUCH IS FAMILIAR

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EVEN THE UNFAMILIAR CAN BECOME FAMILIAR

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TO CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER AND THIS PLACE, WE...

| HERE, NOW | SO MUCH IS FAMILIAR | EVEN THE UNFAMILIAR CAN BECOME FAMILIAR | TO CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER AND THIS PLACE, WE...

As we explore Gateshead Riverside Park, we use our bodies to notice who and what is here. We investigate how we are connected to this place through a series of prompts. During and after each exercise, we record our responses. These become our stories of this place, here, now.

Download the storybook to read some of our urban forest stories.

Urban Forest Stories from Gateshead Riverside Park