A year ago we put our heads together with artist Nicky Thompson (of ‘Portraits of Moretonhampstead') to discuss her idea.  It’s amazingly straightforward and universal, based on  growing and sharing - vegetables in our gardens, window boxes, allotments, favourite recipes to share, and at least one splendid Feast to cook up. The primary school also have a lottery funded project: Grow, Cook, Compost and Recycle - we are pooling our skills and knowledge.

In the town, some of the doing will be digging, sowing seeds, planting, weeding tending, harvesting plants and noticing bugs. We will be inspired by speakers who know about our local plant life, wild creatures and ecosystems and can unveil some of the mysteries that mother nature hides from us. There will be lots of ‘arty’ stuff to join in with, one being making ‘bugs on sticks’ to celebrate our insect population,  making a wild and wonderful carnival entry - so this will be a chance to make that ‘flying beastie’,  and be part of a swarm.

When not teaching, in her allotment or tending to her bees, Nicky will be working with different groups in the town to print beautiful decorative table cloths for the feast using Cyanotype and Anthotype photographic printing methods.

Another strand of the project is to work on making a meaningful ceremony to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War on 11.11.18. This will involve clay, building a kiln and an all night outside firing. We are also working with the Parish Council, thinking about regenerative spaces, how we might be able to manage the graveyard in a more wildlife friendly way, whilst keeping it tidy and tended. We are thinking together about planting bulbs which can naturalise: snowdrops and wood anemones, wild daffodils and bluebells .... perhaps poppies, and lavender.

Follow developments and news on our Facebook Page @GrowingDartmoor2018