The (Future) Wales Coast Path is a series of creative events and installations about our relationship to land and water. Public events ran throughout 2022 on the Gwent Levels and on the Indian island of Sagar. A free collective guidebook bringing together walks, maps and conversations from these events has been published and can be found in Newport, Caldicot, and Langport libraries. Watch our film about the project here
The future is up to all of us!
Join us to explore the intertidal space of the future: create your own adventure by starting a walk at our Lighthouses on the Gwent and Somerset Levels and considering how we might wish to change as the landscape changes. You’ll find some ideas to try out on our Expeditions page.
The project was led by local artist Alison Neighbour, with producer Elen Roberts, researcher Dr Emma McKinley, and Kolkata-based artist Vikram Iyengar.
Project partners include the Severn Estuary Partnership, Gwent Wildlife Trust, Our Living Levels, Newport Riverfront, Newport Fusion and Natural Resources Wales. The work was funded by Arts Council Wales, Living Levels, Natural Resources Wales and Newport Fusion. We are grateful to Langport Town Council and RSPB Newport Wetlands for hosting the lighthouses on their current sites, and to Newport Riverfront and Gwent Wildlife Trust for hosting the lighthouses during 2022.
Meet the team
Alison Neighbour
Alison grew up in Chepstow and Newport and is an artist working in theatre, dance, installation and site-responsive practice, locally and internationally. Alison creates multi-disciplinary artworks and live experiences that place the audience at the centre of the live moment, and she seeks to use art to activate and empower communities and to connect people and place with a deeper understanding of our natural world. Alison has been developing The (Future) Wales Coast Path since taking part in the National Theatre Wales residency “Egin” in 2019. http://www.alisonneighbourdesign.com
Dr Emma McKinley
Dr Emma McKinley is a Research Fellow at Cardiff University. Her research focuses on understanding the complex relationships between society and the sea, taking account of diverse perceptions, attitudes and values held by different communities and audiences, and considers how this insight can be used to support effective ocean governance.
Elen Roberts
Elen is a freelance arts manager with over ten years’ experience in arts development and production. She also runs and arts consultancy called Dica and has worked with artists on international programmes in Mexico, Argentina, China, Canada and the USA. Elen is interested in creative projects across different arforms, that highlight societal issues and make a difference to people’s lives.
@elenllwyd www.dica.wales
Stephen Heinson
Stephen is a freelancer working across visual arts, exhibition and film with 9+ years’ experience in marketing, communications, outreach and community engagement. He’s worked at and with organisations including Chapter, Artes Mundi, Film London Artist’s Moving Image Network and with artists including Ken Loach and Apichatpong Weerasethakul.
With thanks to our project funders and partners:
The (Future) Wales Coast Path 