An exciting and ambitious new art project, produced by Lancaster Arts at Lancaster University, is set to open to the public for the first time on Saturday 28 June in Nelson.

Are You Lost?, a commission from artist Rob St John, is part of Nature Calling, a national programme of cultural activity from the National Landscapes Association with funding from Arts Council England and Defra (the Department for Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs).

The project, which has been running for the last ten months, is commissioned by the Forest of Bowland National Landscape, and seeks to understand how communities connect with the natural world around them, open up conversations about access to wild spaces and celebrate our place and responsibility in these environments.

Are You Lost? will culminate in a series of sound, film and textile art installations taking place in and around the Forest of Bowland, beginning in Nelson on Saturday 28 June as part of Pendle Festival of Culture.

The installation will then travel to a barn in Dunsop Bridge for the formal launch of the project on 2-3 August before the finale in the heart of Gisburn Foreston 30-31 August.

The barn in Dunsop Bridge is on land owned by the Duchy of Lancaster who have supported the project, saying: “The Duchy of Lancaster is proud to support this inspiring event in the Forest of Bowland, celebrating creativity, community, and connection to nature.”

Are You Lost? has emerged through creative workshops, walks, talks and activities with communities in and around Bowland and, in particular, with children and young people.

Artist Rob St John recently appeared alongside young people who have taken part in the project on BBC Countryfile. You can watch the episode on BBC iPLAYER here.

The commissioned artwork combines archival footage from the historic floods of 1967 in Dunsop Valley with recent film portraying contributors’ personal memories and feelings about Bowland.

The soundscape includes sounds gathered through workshops with young people in Nelson and Burnley, alongside songs, choral improvisations and field recordings of the landscape.

The textile pieces are created by Lancashire textile artist Kate O’Farrell and draw upon the history of the area from the cotton mills of east Lancashire to the textile traditions of Gujarat, where many of Nelson’s communities have roots.

Rob St John said:“The Forest of Bowland is a rich and special place. ‘Are You Lost?’ has given me the opportunity to work with communities on the fringes of Bowland to listen to and amplify their unheard voices and perspectives on the landscape. I want to foster connections across communities and landscapes between the fringes and the centre of Bowland. Hopefully, this can help prompt the answer to the question ‘Are You Lost?’ with the answer ‘no, I belong here too’.”

Lancaster Arts Director Jocelyn Cunningham said:“Lancaster Arts is proud to have been chosen as one of the national producers for Nature Calling and we are excited by the work that Rob has created with communities in the Forest of Bowland. It is a spectacular landscape with a rich heritage and remarkable local stories. We hope this work will reflect that and be familiar to those who know it well and a way in for those who have never been.”

Alongside the installation, Are You Lost? features a range of workshops and conversations open to all, including screen printing workshops, conversations covering stories from Bowland, farming, radical histories and futures, as well as guided walks, to create a mini festival atmosphere.

In addition, composer Julian Evans, will lead a series of singing workshops and rehearsals as he gathers a new choral group, The Stonechats, who will work on an original piece of music to be performed in Gisburn Forest on 31 August as the finale to Are You Lost?

To find out more about Are You Lost? visit lancasterarts.org, where you can also listen to the Are You Lost? podcast series to better understand the project. All the activities are free but booking is preferred. Find out more about Nature Calling and the other locations around the country that are taking part at naturecalling.org.uk.

Those wanting to get involved in the project are encouraged to get in touch about volunteering opportunities by emailing meg@lancasterarts.org.

Are You Lost? opens to the public on Saturday 28 June at Building Bridges Pendle, 20 Scotland Road, Nelson, BB9 7UU. The installation will be open from 12-6pm, with activity taking place throughout the day.