Devon and Cornwall have been actively mined since at least pre-Roman times, stripped of tin, copper, lead, arsenic, clay and water.  The mining of Cornwall was historically that of mineral extraction; in Devon it's been a mix of mineral extraction and agriculture (mining the rich soils to grow produce and livestock).  This mix of mining activities created the distinctive landscapes of these two counties present today.  In places these are landscapes which were laid waste; yet nature has reconquered them with such vigour that their beauty draws millions of tourists every year. In this way these landscapes continue to be mined  –– tourists take away the beauty of this place in digital images, snapshots, postcards and videos.
Devon and Cornwall are also places of shifting cultural identity.  As mineral extraction disappears so do jobs (at present there are no working tin mines in either county, china clay mining continues in places).  Agriculture is disappearing in places as well, especially the upland hill areas of Bodmin Moor and Dartmoor, again with a loss of jobs.  At the same time the demands of tourism have created inflated markets in house and land prices.  As family members leave home they can no longer afford to stay in the communities where they grew up.  House price spirals cause a cultural change in the towns, villages and countryside as properties become holiday lets, second and commuter homes –– village life and culture changes, shops go out of business, post offices depart, 'ghost' towns appear.  This form of mining landscape may be ultimately more destructive than mineral extraction.

This newer form of mining creates a new kind of wealth, but it also leaves its own traces and scars –– distorted livelihoods, communities and culture.  The land heals when the activity stops; but will the income from the mining of tourist/incomer pockets enable villages to sustain, or regenerate, their unique cultures?

This project celebrates as well as questions.  Mining and tourism have left behind a rich heritage in these two counties –– a heritage that has been recognised through the award of World Heritage Site status to ten locations across Cornwall and West Devon.  The creative team will develop ways to recognise this rich heritage, and a number of public events will encourage others to become involved in being creative and celebrating these places.

The project

The project will focus on the three geographical areas around the partner organizations, all of which are of great interest for their past mining activity and the legacies this has left, together with the tourism of today.
Three artists and one oral historian will produce a wide-ranging series of work arising from this landscape –– work that will leave some kind of semi-permanent marker or trace.  It is work that engages its public, and that perhaps encourages input and change.  It explores mining literally and metaphorically, historically and contemporaneously, creating work that illuminates ways of life now, and in the past.  Above all, the outputs from the project will add meaning and understanding for those who experience it.  This is yet another form of mining landscape. 

The three artists will have a period of 7 weeks paid time to engage with the project; the oral historian will have a period of 12 weeks.

The creative team will be sited as follows:

• Artist 1 (Cornwall) will be based in Pool in West Cornwall, working with the Heartlands project and surrounding communities
• Artist 2 (Cornwall) will be based around the St Dennis area, working with a team from the Eden project, tapping into their established outreach work in the mining communities there
• Artist 3 (Devon) will be based in the Tamar Valley, working with the AONB and their research team, in particular working with the oral histories they have been collecting and looking at ways to use this material in imaginative and innovative ways

• The oral historian will be based across the whole of the project region

Download the brief HERE
Deadline for applications is September 8, 2008. (Apply online here) PLEASE NOTE: If you've been having problems with the application form, please try it again (make sure you RELOAD before you begin filling it in)
Download the project map here.

The creative team (3 artists & 1 oral historian)
The creative team will be chosen from a national pool.  Artform will not be prescribed, and instead we will focus on the applicants’ response to the brief. 

Applicant artists’ ideas will be an important form of assessment, as well as evidence of the quality of their past work and their ability to work sensitively with people and place.  We anticipate that at least one of the artists will work with digital media.

The oral historian will be able to show a creative and innovative yet rigorous approach to oral history gathering, and be able to show an understanding of the essential mechanisms behind oral history conventions.

Engaging with history and community
The project looks at two strands that represent "mined landscape":  historic mining activities and tourism, with an emphasis as much on the past as on the present.

Across the project areas in West Devon and Cornwall the artists and oral historian will work with their partner organisations and the local communities, researching, collecting stories and memories and holding public events such as walks around some of the sites.  In addition, opportunities will be created for community members to bring and share materials and engage in the project creatively, including free training sessions teaching people how to gather and record their own material.

The project will grow and evolve, and some kind of on-line database will be formed that allows for continual input from residents: this may be in the form of writing, adding images or even recording a story.  This will help to keep the project live and focused on celebrating heritage.

The project will present a significant challenge to the creative team, which will be explicit in the briefs:  make expressive artwork that speaks to general audiences, but also work with community members and allow them to get involved in a meaningful way.

Applications are now being accepted. Download the artist brief (pdf) or apply online now.  

Project Locations (project map)

Cornwall
The Kerrier District, an important and complex mining district containing what were some of the richest and deepest mines in the county. The area also houses the site of South Crofty, the last working tin mine in Cornwall (and Europe) which closed in March 1998. Kerrier District Council have just been awarded over £22m to develop an area around Pool and South Crofty highlighting Cornish innovation and migration, with Robinsons Shaft (part of South Crofty mine) at the centre of the development.

The area is also home to Camborne School of Mines (part of Exeter University), founded in 1888, which has an international reputation for research and teaching related to understanding and management of Earth's natural processes and resources.

The Restormel District, another important mining area, still houses working china clay pits. The companies operating these mines are however reducing workforces, leaving questions about job losses and how the communities will survive and adapt.

Devon
West Devon (Tamar Valley) and Dartmoor, home to mineral mining thought to have originated as early as pre-roman times, and which continued into the 20th century.

Collaborations
The project artists and oral historian will collaborate with various heritage partners in both areas who will be able to support them with expertise and advice.  The partners are also likely to play an active part in promoting, disseminating and hosting the work produced.

Committed partners include:
•       Devon and West Cornwall World Heritage Site
•       The Eden Project
•       The Heartlands Project
•       The National Trust (Cornish Mines & Engines, at Pool (nr Redruth))
•       Tamar Valley AONB

Applications are now being accepted. Download the artist brief (pdf) or apply online now.