A REPORT ON IIRENE ROGAN'S UNPUBLISHED TOUR

Building on the strong community links developed in south Copeland, and in particular in the town of Millom and its surroundings, where the former industrial landscape that was centered around the ironworks that closed decades ago is undergoing a restorative process as it is reclaimed by the natural environment. This ‘new’ landscape is brought into view through a focus on the hidden and inaccessible edges along the Duddon Estuary and an engagement with the restoration of Haverigg Dunes, which for Unpublished Tour are sites for a shared creative journey, explored variously from the land and the water, and the library and via online media. Unpublished Tour therefore represents a process that will embrace environmental art and sciences including microbiology, geomorphology and archaeology in the surrounding landscape. Participatory events combine new artworks and workshops, walks, poetry, visual art, literature and performance - accessible across all age groups and backgrounds. The underpinning purpose of Unpublished Tour is to draw local communities into a deeper engagement with the natural environment, by revealing the characteristics, features and qualities that identify the Duddon and Haverigg Dunes areas as places that are in need of special protection. A primary aim of this work will be to foster a desire for a living legacy, locally and nationally, that helps to preserve the Duddon Estuary’s unique qualities for future generations. The work, in part, is inspired by William Wordsworth's 'The River Duddon, A series of Sonnets' from which the project title 'Unpublished Tour' was later derived. Unpublished Tour has been supported by an Arts Council National Lottery Grant in partnership with Cumbria Wildlife Trust and Dynamic Dunescapes. Further support has been provided by Haverigg Inshore Rescue, Duddon Inshore Rescue and In Certain Places at the University of Central Lancashire.