Copeland Art Collective
We are all traveller's
the birds and I
Swept to this island
to share this moment in time
by winds memory
and destiny
(Alison R)
In May 2016, I was selected as a poet to be cast away with eleven other artists, on Lighthouse Island, in the Irish Sea, as guests of the Copeland Bird Observatory.
Our experience of the island inspired a diverse body of work that showcased each artist's unique response to the visit. The resulting exhibition was shown in three venues in Northern Ireland, inviting visitors to share the artistic journey by following the exhibition as it moved to see how the artist's work grew and progressed over time.
(Grateful thanks go to Ards and North Down Council for facilitating this wonderful experience!)
My response was largely to nature and the winged nomads who shared this little rock in the ocean with me for this time. The work of the Copeland Bird Observatory is only obliquely mentioned - in gentle references to the migration of its avian visitors that they watch so carefully.