North York Moors National Park’s Gallery Devotes Summer Exhibition To The Lost Spells

This summer the North York Moors National Park’s gallery will be hosting a beautiful new exhibition inspired by the acclaimed nature book The Lost Spells and running a series of complementary events that deepen people’s connections with the natural world.

The Lost Spells: Listening to a Landscape of Voices exhibition, which includes artwork and a specially-created immersive soundscape featuring wildlife recordings and spell songs, is going on tour after 11 months at The Sill in Northumberland and the first venue will be the Inspired by… gallery at Danby Lodge National Park Centre in the North York Moors.

Running from 15 July to 10 September, the family-friendly exhibition will bring to life the enchanting spell poems in the book, the sequel to the bestselling The Lost Words, written by Robert Macfarlane and illustrated by Jackie Morris.

The exhibition, which is free to enter, will echo The Lost Spells intention that each poem, which is dedicated to an animal, bird, tree or flower, should be read aloud. Along with admiring the beautiful illustrations, visitors will be able to hear recordings of wildlife such as owls, curlews and foxes and acoustic music from the Spell Songs.

For spellbound youngsters there will be a creative hub with sensory trays and drawing activities in the exhibition, while from 21 July, they will also be able to follow The Magic of Nature Trail in the grounds of Danby Lodge listening out for nature’s sounds whether it’s a robin chanting or an oak tree’s leaves rustling.

On the 3 August, there’s a special event called Becoming Fox in the company of performing artist Bidi Iredale and Cleveland Fibre Arts who will take children on a journey into the natural world using storytelling and mask making.

Meanwhile for adults there are two creative writing workshops on 29 July and 2 September when author Clara Challoner Walker and poet Janet Dean will draw inspiration from the exhibition to encourage would-be writers.