The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe Investing in Rural Areas
We have less than two years to save the River Wye from the effects of pollution. Sewage and enormous volumes of chemical run-off from poultry farms are devastating the rivers ecosystem. Plant, fish and bird life has rapidly diminished in recent years. Unless swift action is taken the Wye will become too polluted to swim or kayak on, and the water will be poisonous to animals.
Canwood Gallery is teaming up with River Action UK to help raise funds to protect the River Wye from further damage and raise the profile of the urgent action needed. We are asking creatives from Wales, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire to submit an artwork for our upcoming exhibition ‘Save The Wye’. We want you to create something that celebrates the River Wye.
Whether you’re capturing the rivers stunning natural beauty, its rich history and mythology or its variety of inhabitants – all topics are welcome! We want to see what the River Wye means to you! All ages are welcome and you may submit an visual art for consideration – painting, sculpture, photograph, poem, stories. Selected works will be exhibited at Gallery during August and September 2022 and will be auctioned off in a charity auction at the end of the exhibition. If a work of art gets sold, the artist can take home 40% of the funds and the other 60% will go to the exhibition charity, artists can also select to donate all their proceeds.
We hope that all works submitted will be on show at the Canwood Gallery, however this very much depends on the volume of works we receive. Our exhibition aim is to have an artwork for each mile of the River Wye.
To submit your work please email savethewyeexhibition@canwoodgallery.com with a clear image of your work, a brief description about you and the piece you have made, together with a short statement explaining why the River Wye is important to you. Submissions need to be made by 20th June 2022.
The artwork on our open call is a topologic digital image of part of the River Wye! Created by artist Louis Vass @louisvass
| Launched in February 2021, River Action is a charity committed to combating the issue of river pollution in the UK. Our rivers are facing a severe ecological crisis, with most polluted beyond their legal limits – and many facing severe environmental challenges. Our purpose is to apply pressure on industrial and agricultural producers to take greater responsibility for remedying the adverse environmental impact their supply chains are having on the health of our rivers. We apply direct pressure on industrial and agricultural producers to expose abuses and call for polluters to remedy the environmental damage their activities and supply chains inflict on rivers. We also campaign for the government to provide better environmental protectionfor our rivers. We work with local NGOs, environmental activists and citizen science groups, to spread awareness and confront those responsible at the highest level. Key Milestones Include: ● Gaining over 65,000 petition signatures calling for immediate restoration of environmental protection budgets in both England and Wales ● Significantly increasing media and public awareness of the link between agriculture and river pollution ● Generating significant pressure on the major agri-businesses in the Wye Valley whose supply chains have been responsible for polluting the river ● Applying pressure to change their practises (resulting in one major agribusiness admitting its culpability and pledging to become part of the solution) ● Pursuing political and regulatory action Our Impact Assessment Report contains more detail: https://riveractionuk.com/news/river-action-2021-impact-report/ |
