8, November 2022
Culture Forager Vol.III
Welcome to Culture Forager Vol. III. This is where we share with you the cultural stuff that’s on our radar right now. From music for plants to a festival dedicated to mountains, we’ve dug out some gems this month. Scroll through our five foraged findings for inspiration abound.
THE EXHIBITION
Beatrix Potter is best known for her children’s story books, illustrated with inimitable pictures of clothed animals. But the inspiration for whimsical characters like Peter Rabbit and Mrs Tiggy-Winkle came from Potter’s intense fascination with and study of Nature. Discover the author’s life as a scientist, sheep farmer, mycologist and more at Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature. V&A South Kensington, London, until 8th January 2023.
THE ALBUM
If you love houseplants as much as we do, hopefully you water them regularly – but have you ever played them music? First released in 1976 (when Faith In Nature was just two years old!), Mother Earth’s Plantasia, by Mort Garson, is described as ‘warm earth music for plants and the people who love them’. The record, often called simply ‘Plantasia’, was composed on a Moog synthesiser. Plantasia was re-released in 2019 to a cult following and is available to stream and on vinyl.
THE BOOK
Whether or not you’re convinced by the idea of playing music to plants, no one can deny the good plants bring to humans. They give us food, air, medicine, meaning, comfort and endless other benefits. All this is explored in a beautiful new book by Simon Barnes: The History of the World in 100 Plants. This richly-illustrated treat of a hardback highlights the most important plants on our planet and how we simply couldn’t live without them.
THE FESTIVAL
Festivals held in the great outdoors are few and far between at this time of year, but there is a festival of the outdoors. Kendal Mountain Festival’s vision is “to inspire more people to explore, respect and represent mountains, wilderness and their cultures”. Sounds good to us. Visitors can expect over 150 guest speakers, world film premieres and book launches, all on the theme of adventure in Nature. Thursday 17th – Sunday 20th November 2022, Kendal.
THE PODCAST
Not strictly a podcast, but a mix worth listening to: Caught by the River recently released their seventh ‘Spoken Word & Nature Disco’. Combining spoken word pieces by eminent poets and artists with Nature-themed music from the likes of Group Listening and Tara Clerkin Trio, it’s the perfect way to connect with earth through your earphones. Mixed by Jeff Barrett with the Dubwood Allstars, the mix is available through Caught by the River or Mixcloud.
Enjoy this round-up? Check out Culture Forager Vol.II.
