In 2015 we produced a new work Freeman's Wood a board game for Storey G2's project Landed (Freeman's Wood). Three artists were commissioned to make new work responding to the Freeman's Wood site which is located on the edge of Lancaster town centre, UK. This piece of land, that while being owned by a multi-national property investment company, has remained vacant/unclaimed for decades which has brought to question public vs private space, colliding interests of the local community and those of global capital, and challenges the perception of land ownership. Completed last year, Landed (Freeman's Wood) has received widespread attention in 2016, below is a quick summary:
Places
It has been presented in Stockholm at the Undisciplined Environments conference, in Gateshead/Newcastle at the Cultural Heritage in Landscape conference, and the Freeman's Wood video was shown in Visualizing Contested Cities at the international conference in Madrid .
Artists Goldin+Senneby included a model which they produced of A3 A Plot, their commissioned piece on Freeman's Wood, at Prince Eugen’s Waldemarsudde castle, in Stockholm. This was part of their retrospective exhibition, Standard Length of a Miracle, which took place at multiple venues from 27 January-15 May.
Publications
Landscape Research
An article was published in Landscape Research Group LR Extra newsletter Issue 75 LR Extra promotes interdisciplinary dialogue on issues related to contemporary landscape. It has members and subscribers in more than 40 countries.
The Guardian - 1
An excellent article by Bradley Garrett, “What the battle for Freeman's Wood says about the future of our common land”, was published on 10 February.
“For years, Lancaster locals treated Freeman’s Wood as common space – until its Bermuda-registered owner submitted a development plan, and erected fencing to keep them out. Now the commoners are fighting back.”
The Guardian - 2
Freeman’s Wood was mentioned in a further article by Bradley Garrett:
“Hands off #OurLand: gifting green space to QPR highlights wider threat to cities” on 13 June.
“Around the country, common spaces on the edges of cities – Freeman’s Wood in Lancaster is another long-cherished example – are coming under threat of development.”
'Elsewhere – A Journal of Place'
An interview with Layla Curtis about her Trespass app was published on the 'Elsewhere' blog entitled “Crossing the fence: The Trespass app and oral history” on 27 March.
'Land is Free'
An article was published on the “Land is Free” website in May
‘Common Ground’ and ‘The Woodland Trust’
An article was published in the Summer 2016 edition of “Leaf”, a magazine published by ‘Common Ground’ and ‘The Woodland Trust’.
