UP Projects and the National Trust are delighted to invite you and your colleagues to the preview of a new site-specific sculpture I travelled 66 million years to be with you and then you came by Anne Duk Hee Jordan at A la Ronde in Exmouth. 15.00 - 16.00: Enjoy free entry to the stunning A la Ronde house. 16.00 - 17.15: Take part in a creative musical workshop led by artist Emma Welton, inspired by the River Exe Estuary using water and materials from the River and Exmouth shoreline.  Sign up for the workshop in advance to ensure your place. 17.00 onwards: Complimentary drinks You are welcome to bring a picnic and enjoy the grounds. 17.30:  Unveiling of the sculpture. 17.45: listen to artist Anne Duk Hee Jordan in conversation with curators at UP Projects with an opportunity to ask questions. To secure a ticket please email info@upprojects.com by 23 May.

Places on session: 10 Over 16s only Cost: free. Booking essential. Join artist Alison Cooper, also known as Magpahi for a magical afternoon of listening, recording, and storytelling to develop her new immersive sound installation coming to Haigh Hall in the Autumn. Using hydrophones (underwater microphones) you will explore and record the secret underwater soundscape of the Swan Pond at Haigh Hall, tuning in to the gentle gurgles, bubbling life, and echoes beneath the surface. Get hands on with recording equipment to learn how it works and create your own experiments with field sound. We will gather to share local and international water folklore about water spirits and magical ponds that give us further glimpses beneath the surface of the water. Hear the stories researched by Alison Cooper and artist Anna FC Smith adding your own reflections, tales, legends or mysterious anecdotes. All the recordings made on the day will create a rich pool of inspiration for Alison’s developing artwork and become part of her compositional sound installation that will sing back across the ornamental lily pond at Haigh Hall during the Bodies of Water launch event on Saturday 13th September

Dive into the hidden world beneath the water’s surface with this interactive family-friendly workshop led by environmental charity Groundwork. Join us for one of two pond dips as part of the Bodies of Water project that launches at Haigh Hall this autumn. You'll discover the fascinating invertebrates that inhabit our local waters and Groundwork’s environmental experts will guide you in identifying these creatures and explain what their presence reveals about the health of our aquatic ecosystems. This hands-on exploration not only offers a glimpse into the biodiversity of Haigh Hall but also contributes to an artwork. The observations and findings from the day will inspire Dustin Lyon’s upcoming immersive digital art installation, set to debut at the Bodies of Water launch event on Saturday 13th September.

What is the role of socially-engaged public art in the context of our accelerating environmental crisis? Join UP Projects on Thursday 11 September 2025 in Liverpool for a half day symposium exploring regenerative principles and practices. With insights from artists, curators and environmentalists, this dynamic programme of talks, case studies and workshops will raise the ambition for what it means to be environmentally responsible both technically and culturally. The symposium aims to equip participants with theoretical frameworks, case studies from best and emerging practices, as well as practical tools from the world of public art commissioning and beyond. Sharing learnings from the Bodies of Water commissions, the symposium will explore humans’ relationship to Nature through the prism of water, notably water cultures, water management and hydropolitics. The Bodies of Water symposium is curated by UP Projects and guest curator Justine Boussard, presented in partnership with the Liverpool Biennial. Found out more about the Symposium here.

UP Projects commissioned Wigan based artist and producer, Anna FC Smith to devise the Community Collaboration Programme, a key element of Jordan’s commission at Haigh Hall. Smith has led a series of co-created workshops with a team of five local Community Ambassadors: Karen Buckels, Marie-Clare Kenyon, Lee McStein, Ryan Millington and Farai Nhakaniso. Accompanying the launch of Snail on me, Smith and the ambassadors have co-created a programme of commissions, performances and workshops that respond to the themes of Jordan’s work. The Community Ambassadors have developed vibrant, community orientated activities, rooted in their local knowledge and environmental concerns. The programme was a celebration of water, biodiversity, and the power of creative action. Each activity has been shaped through public engagement, exploring water through myth and folklore, ecology, and multi-species connection. The programme included two new commissions by Dustin Lyon and Alison Cooper (Magpahi), workshops and performances by Zephie Begolo, Everything Human Rights Kubatana Dance Group, Groundwork, and The Frog. Anne Duk Hee Jordan was also in conversation with Dr. Sylvia Travers, Head of Horticulture at Haigh Hall, and Anna FC Smith. Find out more about the launch event here