The efforts of key workers during the pandemic are to be commemorated in an initiative at the National Memorial Arboretum.
The Lockdown Landscapes project will run over 20 months, and will also look to remember those who died during the coronavirus crisis.
It will aim to capture stories and experiences from communities, with schools, care homes and community groups invited to take part and show how they experienced the pandemic when travel was limited.
Chris Ansell, head of participation and learning at the National Memorial Arboretum, said:
“More than 175,000 people have died as a result of Covid-19, and people across the nation are grieving the loss of loved ones.
“Key workers have worked tirelessly to keep people safe, and communities up and down the country have made sacrifices during lockdowns and periods of restriction.
“It’ll take many years for us to understand the true impact of the multiple lockdowns and extended periods of self-isolation.
“Lockdown Landscapes will explore how people connected with their local parks, woodlands, public gardens and historic landscapes during times of isolation and is a really meaningful way to share stories from some of the communities hit hardest by the pandemic.
“Being the nation’s year-round place to remember, we are working with our partners to give communities a way to remember those that we tragically lost, support those living with the impacts of the pandemic and to learn about each other’s experiences through a nationally significant archive of community stories.”
Chris Ansell, National Memorial Arboretum
The project will see artists will be working with four communities heavily hit by Covid-19 to understand their experiences of lockdowns and encourage creativity in the wake of the pandemic.
Artworks inspired by these stories will go on display in the grounds of the arboretum in the summer of 2023.
John Everitt, chief executive of the National Forest Company which is one of the partners in the project, said:
“So many of us discovered the solace offered by woodlands and green spaces as we all made the most of our brief moments of respite during lockdowns.
“As part of Lockdown Landscapes, we will be working with communities to offer a creative exploration of the regenerated landscapes of the National Forest.
“We hope that spending time creatively outdoors will particularly help those that have felt the strain of Covid on their wellbeing and sustain a reconnection with the natural world.”
John Everitt, National Forest Company
The project is being funded by almost £250,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
