The National Trust Flatford project, known as the Rivers and Skies Art Residency, has brought locals and artists together to create an immersive digital installation which also celebrates the anniversary of John Constable’s birth. It will showcase people’s stories of Flatford to pay homage to Constable’s deep connection to the area.
Artists Tom Hobden and Phoebe Stapleton, alongside set designer Christianna Mason, have worked with the community to create an installation that brings dance, film, an original soundtrack and animated paintings together.
Flatford is at the centre of this project, just as it was in much of Constable’s work, with his paintings demonstrating his close connection to the Suffolk hamlet. Hobden elaborated on the community spirit of the installation, expressing that “it’s been a real privilege to work with so many wonderful people on this project and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve created together.”
Community & collaboration
While Flatford is in Suffolk, albeit on the border with Essex, the project was commissioned by the Essex Cultural Diversity Project and supported by the National Trust and Arts Council England.
National Trust Site Manager at Flatford, Simon Peachey, told East Anglia Bylines that “Constable’s 250th birthday year gave us the perfect opportunity to work with the Essex Cultural Diversity project to explore how Constable’s paintings still resonate with people today.”
The Flatford project is not the only way in which Constable’s birth anniversary has brought communities together. The 1821 Hay Wain painting, on loan from London’s National Gallery, is on display at Christchurch Mansion in Ipswich, thanks to a collaboration agreement with Colchester and Ipswich Museums.
It is the painting’s first time in Suffolk, and exhibition curator Emma Roodhouse told the BBC that she shed a tear upon finally seeing the painting displayed in Ipswich.
Children’s reactions
Depicting the River Stour in Flatford itself, flocks of visitors have visited Christchurch Mansion to see The Hay Wain. These include primary school children from St Margaret’s, Ipswich, artists and curators.
Derek Davis, Babergh District Council Cabinet member for a sustainable economy, who lives on the Shotley peninsula, told East Anglia Bylines of the community spirit that Constable’s 250th birthday has ignited. “One of the many joys of the Constable 250 has been seeing children engage with an old master,” he said. “The Unconventional Constable Exhibition [at Flatford] was a cracking example, with the excited chatter and squeals of delight from youngsters experiencing the works of a painter rooted in their community. The use of modern technology brought all generations together.”
Davis pointed out that many visitors strolled around Flatford’s beautiful countryside afterwards, to see exactly what Constable saw, “only with different cows in the field next to the river.”
An inspiration across time
Constable’s birthday has also inspired other local projects. The creators of an independent film anthology of nine magical films known as Once Upon a Time in Suffolk posted a preview of one film the day after Constable’s 250th birthday. The film, The Painters, tells of a young John Constable who is persuaded by his best friend to try his hand at portrait painting for a mysterious client.
Flatford will also welcome the Packing Shed Theatre to perform a play, inspired by The Hay Wain. It takes place on Friday, August 28, in the Granary Garden. The Flatford National Trust has referred to the play as East Anglia’s “very own Les Misérables”.
Similarly, a collaborative exhibition has just closed at the Constable Memorial Hall in East Bergholt, the artist’s birthplace. It showcased ten of his most iconic works in an immersive exhibition, including illustrations of Constable’s work created by children from local schools.
From visitors continuing to walk the same paths as Constable, to immersive installations and theatrical performances, Constable’s legacy remains a living part of East Anglia’s cultural life. It is certainly far from being confined within books and galleries.
The Flatford installation runs from Monday 24 August until Sunday 30 August, and will be open daily from 11 am until 3 pm. Entry is free, although parking charges may apply.
The Hay Wain painting will be on display at the Christchurch Mansion in Ipswich until 4 October. Tickets cost between £8 and £10, as part of a collection called The Hay Wain, Walking Constable’s Landscape, and the museum recommends booking online before attending.
The Packing Shed Theatre will perform on Friday, August 28 in the Granary Garden of Flatford. Gates open at 6:30 pm, and the performance starts at 7:30 pm. The National Trust recommends visiting their website for ticketing information.
The next screening of Once Upon a Time in Suffolk (12a) will be at The Marina in Lowestoft on September 30.
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