Author Archives: James Aldridge

Re-Making Rivers: Learning from Different Perspectives

As an artist I’m interested in making, including how other species can be seen as makers, and the possibility for multi-species collaboration, including in the re-making of UK rivers that have suffered from previous human interventions. Earlier this month I spent a few days holiday in Devon with my family. I was hoping to findContinue reading “Re-Making Rivers: Learning from Different Perspectives”

A Rivery Mind / Thinking with Bridges

My work ‘out there’ (outside of my home and studio) now quietens for the Summer. I have some lovely one day events and CPD sessions I’m facilitating in August, but apart from that, life can slow down for a bit. When I am doing my work with organisations and communities I need to interpret myContinue reading “A Rivery Mind / Thinking with Bridges”

Bodies of Water Symposium at the Liverpool Biennial

On September 11th I’ll be facilitating a walk as part of Bodies of Water Symposium: Regenerative Arts Practice. Titled Neuroqueer Ecologies: Noticing Differently, our walk will see us travelling as a group from Black-E to the Queen’s Wharf on the River Mersey, noticing and creatively recording how water passes through the city, informed by myContinue reading “Bodies of Water Symposium at the Liverpool Biennial”

Queer River – five years on

I set up Queer River five years ago in 2020, as we emerged from lockdown, as a way to walk, talk and make with my local river, the Hampshire Avon, which begins its journey near my home in the Vale of Pewsey in mid Wiltshire. The original intention was to pay attention to the riverContinue reading “Queer River – five years on”

Noticing Differently: Rivers, Bodies and Beavers

Over the last year or so I developed a PhD proposal and then applied for a studentship to fund my research. The proposal focuses on my Neuroqueer Ecologies research and applies that to human/beaver relationships, in the re-making of rivers, and within the context of climate and biodiversity crises. Put very simply, Neuroqueer Ecologies isContinue reading “Noticing Differently: Rivers, Bodies and Beavers”

Walking with… Artist Alys Scott-Hawkins

I begin my Pop-up Studio residency next week with the John Hansard Gallery in Southampton. I’m going to be exploring embodied experiences of the city’s blue spaces, alongside the Soundings exhibition from Emma Critchley. Ahead of my residency, on a recent visit to the gallery and Emma’s exhibition, I took a walk to some ofContinue reading “Walking with… Artist Alys Scott-Hawkins”

Walking with… Artist Feral Practice

It’s been quite a while since I’ve written one of these posts about a one-to-one walk and talk, two years in fact, the last one being with Artist Gemma Gore in December 2024. Others have featured collaborators such as Botanist Mark Spencer, writer Peter Reason, medical humanities researcher Catherine Lamont Robinson, and seasonal streams researcher/ecologistContinue reading “Walking with… Artist Feral Practice”

Creative River Walk with Norfolk Rivers Trust – Groundwork Gallery, Kings Lynn – 23rd November

On Saturday 23rd November between 1pm and 4pm I will be leading a river walk in Kings Lynn, Norfolk, with Tim Fisher from The Norfolk Rivers Trust. The walk is open to adults (16+) and older accompanied children (13+), and costs just £2.50 a ticket to cover the cost of materials. We will start andContinue reading “Creative River Walk with Norfolk Rivers Trust – Groundwork Gallery, Kings Lynn – 23rd November”

Ground Up Exhibition and Conference at Groundwork Gallery, Kings Lynn

After carrying out an extraction-themed residency this summer with Groundwork Gallery in Kings Lynn, Norfolk, focusing on wetlands and building on my Queer River research, I’m excited to be able to invite you along to Ground Up, the resulting exhibition. With 20 artists involved in this Summer’s residency, Ground Up will be the first of two exhibitions, with Ground Water,Continue reading “Ground Up Exhibition and Conference at Groundwork Gallery, Kings Lynn”