The Bridge That Connects is an artist residency programme by the Trust taking place across four post-industrial communities surrounding the Llangollen waterways within the World Heritage Site.
Working with communities
We are working with communities to discover, elevate and share the existing natural and cultural landscape towards community and culture-led placemaking. The programmes we are developing are
grassroots catalysts for thinking about this place in relation to wellbeing, health, environmental sustainability, identities, future aspirations, history and culture, using art and creativity as key
methodologies.
As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, we share our special status with the Grand Canyon, the Pyramids and the Great Wall of China. The site accommodates up to 500,000 UK and international visitors a
year, drawn to the 18km long Pontcysyllte Aqueduct which is known as ‘the stream in the sky’. This magnificent feat of civil engineering was built to transport minerals quarried and mined from the
land for heavy industry. A wealth of innovation, design and manufacturing taking place in the area was exported across the world, with much of the present-day area described as ‘post-industrial’.
The project, which runs from December 2023 - December 2024, aims to explore how the World Heritage Site is being harnessed for social, cultural and economic wellbeing for and by the
communities that live here today.
Who we're working with
Our programme includes micro and long-term artist residencies and community engagement. We are currently working with the following artists and creative practitioners across our programmes:
Sophia Leadill, Incredible Edible Wrecsam, Jenny Berrisford, Emma-Jayne Holmes, Nan Pickering, Chantelle Purcell, Oliver Stephenson, Filmcafe, Leon Bowen, Brogan Burke, Jim Heath, Tina Rogers, Sara Wheeler and Ian Richards, who are working collaboratively with a range of individuals, community groups, schools and with arts in health, social, green and nature prescribing initiatives.
The project will culminate with an invitation on 23 and 24 November 2024 to visit Trevor, Cefn Mawr, Froncysyllte and Chirk to experience an alternative World Heritage Site through temporary works and interventions in public spaces that have been shaped and influenced by the communities that live there.
We are working with key local partners including Tŷ Pawb, Green Health Wales, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, Xplore!, AVOW, The Land, Cardiff University, Wrecsam County Borough
Council among many others to develop and nurture crucial conversations, an understanding of these communities, research and creativity with and for those who live in the area.
The project is underpinned by our emerging Art, Culture, People & Place Strategy for Wales that centres cultural programmes as key drivers to support the social and economic wellbeing of the communities that surround the waterways through shared experiences, education, engagement and empowerment.
The project has been funded through the Shared Prosperity Fund (North) and UK Government Levelling-up Fund.
Last Edited: 12 August 2024
