Holding Rain in the Headwater
Over 10 days in February 2024 students and staff from MA Art and science travelled to Almería, home to Europe’s driest region, to help restore an ancient Spanish water capture system, building check dams and planting native vegetation, designed to hold the rain and reduce erosion. They contributed to this hydrorestoration project by collectively sculpting the land and responded individually to their experience of being immersed in a remote mountainous environment by creating artworks and interventions in and with the landscape of Almería.
Bringing their experiences back to London, in the run-up to Earth Day 2024 the artists share the environmental issues they encountered in Spain in a very different landscape around the locality of Central Saint Martins, Kings Cross, finding synergies between the two sites. As London becomes increasingly dry and global warming affects seasonal growth, shared concerns arise around water preservation and the need to nurture and protect biodiversity.
Friday 19 April 2024
1.00–5.30pm: Site to Site
Drop-in, no booking necessary
An afternoon of exhibits, activities and encounters situated along the green corridor of Kings Cross estate. You can find us and pick up a map on Bagley Walk and Gasholders Park.
Throughout the afternoon you can encounter sculptural interventions by Fawziyah Rahman, Julian Udine, Jane Scobie, Sigrid Bannenberg and share your landscape stories with Mariia Korneeva (various locations - maps can be collected on the day from Bagley Walk)
Timed events:
At 1pm and 4pm you can join a live drawing meditation with Katreena Dee (Gasholders Park)
Between 2–5pm you can participate in a plant printing workshop with Charlotte Bassadone (Bagley Walk) and join Juliet Williams for live observational drawing (bring your sketchbook).
At 2pm there will be a ceremonial offering to the canal waters by Jane Scobie (near Gasholders Park)
And at 5.30pm please join us for a closing procession from Gasholders Park to Central Saint Martins.
6.30–8.00pm: Holding Rain in the Headwater Film Screening
Preview screening of a specially commissioned documentary film made by Nana Maiolini following the students as they journey to Spain. The screening will be followed by artistic presentations and discussion with the project organisers and participating students, exploring how best to hold and cherish rain.
Please book a place on Eventbrite for this screening.
Holding Rain in the Headwater is organised by Heather Barnett (Central Saint Martins) and Simon and Donna Beckmann (Joya: AiR).
Participating students are Sigrid Bannenberg, Charlotte Bassadone, Katreena Dee, Mariia Korneeva, Silvina Maestro, Fawziyah Rahman, Jane Scobie, Julian Udine, Juliet Williams
The project is supported by the LVMH Maison/0 Challenge Fund, which aims to develop creative collaborations through student and graduate-led engagement. Over the past few years they have produced a wide range of projects with LVMH Maisons working across fashion, jewellery, industrial design, textile design and biodesign. These collaborations are designed around a specific brief or challenge, this year related to ‘Water’.
Find us
Central Saint Martins
Granary Building
1 Granary Square
King's Cross
N1C 4AA
Central Saint Martins is located at King's Cross. Please note there are two Granary Squares in N1, Central Saint Martins is based in King’s Cross not nearby Islington.