NEWS
RECOVERY POEM TO LIGHT UP ASHFORD THIS SUMMER
© Ben Raine
How do we commemorate what ’ s been lost as we start to take tentative steps out of lockdown ? What do we want to hold onto and grow ? What positive changes can we make to society and the natural environment as we recover from the pandemic ?
These are the questions posed to the public through a creative art installation in Ashford this summer .
Created by renowned artists Robert Montgomery and Deanna Rodger , the Recovery Poem is a giant light poem that arrived in Ashford in July , inspiring people to reflect and take stock of all that has happened over the last 18 months .
As Ashford starts to look to the future and restrictions ease , the poem will form part of a set of mini events in and around Ashford town centre hosted by Loveashford to mark the start of a new chapter .
Complementing the arrival of the Recovery Poem will be the initiation of the Fabric of
Ashford , a community-based textile project that will see the town centre beautifully decorated over the late summer months and into early autumn .
The poem ’ s co-creator , poet and spoken word artist Deanna Rodger says of its unique presence : “ This collaborative poem began with a conversation between strangers . Robert and I , not knowing each other before , conversed specifically and candidly about where we are at now ( family , work , sense of home ) and where we have come from ; our family history and upbringing . This lent a consideration to our writing of ‘ what happens next ?’ How we hold this global experience , what we root it in and how we make sense of it to retell it .
“ I hope strangers meet the Recovery Poem and are encouraged by it to write and share their stories of this time .”
See the poem at the Hubert Fountain , Victoria Park ( 1-4pm ) and Elwick Place ( 5-8pm ) on August 14th .
HERNE BAY – A ‘ MICE ’ PLACE FOR A SUMMER STAYCATION
This Summer Moo Mop , the painted mouse which has been a hit with local children in Sheppey , is going on holiday to Herne Bay and is hoping people will follow her as she pops up around the town leading people to places they might not have been to before or knew to visit .
Quietly famous on Sheppey , Moo Mop is the creation of an unknown artist who has painted her in different places around the island during lockdown , started by the husband of an NHS nurse keen to cheer her up during the pandemic exhaustion .
Cllr Barbara Flack , chair of Canterbury City Council ' s regeneration committee , said : “ Moo Mop has become quite the hit on Sheppey , so we have invited her creator here to show people around Herne Bay .
“ She ’ s such a sweet little character – children have loved her on Sheppey , and we hope she will take people not only to the seafront , but also to lesser-known places too , giving the local tourist trail a boost ."
Moo Mop ’ s creator , said : " I was amazed at the reaction she ( Moo Mop ) got , so I curated a series of the mini pieces that popped up in several locations on the Isle of Sheppey . I thought Moo Mop was due a staycation after all her hard work and , with foreign travel challenges , where better than across the water to a sunny Herne Bay ?’
People who see Moo Mop are invited to take photos and selfies and post them with the hashtags # moomopmouse # HelloHerneBay # MicetoMeetYou .
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