Join us on the banks of the River Stour to contribute to a community-led, co-created project seeking to deepen relationships with the river.
Our Summer Gathering, Bringing the Stour to Life, is an invitation to contribute to a community-led project of that name, which emerged through Dudley People’s School for Climate Justice conversations in 2024.
🗓️ Wed 16 July
🕕 6pm-8pm
📍 Location by the River Stour tbc
The River Stour meanders for 30 miles between St Kenelm’s Church near Romsley, through populated towns and neighbourhoods (Halesowen, Cradley, Lye, Stourbridge and Wollaston) then west and south through farmland and Kidderminster, finally feeding into the River Severn at Stourport-on-Severn. The vision of the project is to catalyse a River Stour Community; local people who will collaborate to sensitively introduce, improve, enjoy, protect and preserve the river. There is already a growing group of enthusiastic river guardians who have been sharing many and varied knowledges through meet-ups to survey, photograph and learn about mile long stretches of the river.
Our Summer Gathering will bring together people already involved in the project with local creatives and anyone who is curious and would like to spend an evening with the river.
What to expect
A welcome and introduction to the Bringing the Stour to Life project from the initial creator, Colin Maltby.
An invitation to embark on a journey of connection, perhaps using one of the five pathways to nature connection. Or maybe simply spending time with the river in your own way.
You might alternatively like to contribute to the river survey, Colin will explain how.
An opportunity to get involved with Workshop 24’s Getting Into Hot Water project, an art based inquiry into water and climate change locally.
Time to talk, listen, wander, smell, create, connect, share stories and make memories.
You will be offered a copy of The Nature Connection Handbook to keep, and a copy of our featured Share Book for this Gathering.
You’re invited to contribute to the Summer Gathering
Do you already have a relationship with or connection to the River Stour that you’d like to share at the Gathering in some way?
Have you or might you write a poem inspired by the river?
Have you already our would you like create some artwork to show people?
Would you like to undertake an act of care during the Gathering, such as collecting litter?
If so, let us know when you sign up and we’ll get in touch from early July.