In collaboration with Barnaby Festival, I’ve just completed the first stage of ‘Our Future is Ancient’. Since the winter solstice in December 2019, during each full moon cycle, I’ve left Manchester and journeyed into the forest before dawn, staying until after first light.

When I began the work, I couldn’t have foreseen what an extraordinary year 2020 would be. At times, during lockdown, I yearned for the forest, seeing it as a place of sanctuary away from my urban life, and would seek to spend almost the whole night wandering through the trees, listening to owls and ecountering the reflecting eyes of roaming deer.

On December 21st, this year’s winter solstice, I will once again go to the forest at dawn, but without any recording equipment. I will simply be still, gathering together my thoughts on what I’ve learned during my monthly visits to this natural world.

Later in the day Barnaby Festival will host a short film I’m making, that will feature me discussing the project, and origianl music and audio from that I’ve recorded during my time in the forest.

You can see a feature on the work on the Caught By The River website here.