Reserved Listening was a collaborative arts project developed in partnership with Kingcombe Meadows National Nature Reserve and Dorset Wildlife Trust. Rooted in my long-standing interest in the ecology and landscape of the Hooke Valley, the project sought to celebrate the complexity, beauty and interconnectedness of place while encouraging others to engage more deeply with the environment around them.

 

Bringing together sound, sculpture, walking and ecological research, the project explored new ways of experiencing the reserve. Working alongside artists Andy Parker and Fronde Crennell, and in collaboration with ecologists and staff from Dorset Wildlife Trust, we investigated the many layers that shape Kingcombe Meadows, from its habitats and wildlife to the social, agricultural and archaeological histories embedded within the landscape.

 

At the heart of the project was the idea of listening—not simply as hearing sound, but as a way of paying attention. Through field recording, walking, conversation and making, Reserved Listening explored how sustained listening can reveal ecological relationships, historical traces and a deeper sense of connection to place.

 

The resulting works invited audiences to slow down and engage with the landscape through attentive listening and observation. Sound installations, sculptural interventions and guided listening experiences created opportunities for reflection, encouraging visitors to encounter Kingcombe Meadows through a different lens and consider the visible and invisible relationships that shape the reserve.

 

Presented as a day-long event across the reserve and visitor centre, Reserved Listening explored how creative practice can deepen our relationship with place and foster a greater sense of connection, stewardship and wonder within the natural world.