GB · International contemporary art platformSPAN Arts has announced a free community event titled Shield - Love Stories to Nature Community Gathering, scheduled for 31 January 2027. The gathering will take place from 2pm to 5pm at The Urdd Centre in Pentre Ifan, Pembrokeshire. It forms part of the broader Love Stories to Nature commissions and is connected to the ongoing development of Shield, a multidisciplinary project by artist Dea Neile-Hopton commissioned through Unlimited Wales.
The event will be set within the ancient woodland surrounding The Urdd Centre, providing a natural backdrop for a creative exploration of humanity’s relationship with the environment. It will feature a range of artistic expressions including sculpture, poetry, community storytelling, theatre, and music. Notably, the gathering will mark the first public presentation of the developing Shield sculptures.
Shield addresses urgent and complex themes such as colonisation, migration, race, and climate justice. It encourages reflection on protection, belonging, and responsibility, drawing inspiration from First Nations perspectives that view people and nature as interconnected. The event aims to explore ways of decolonising our understanding and interaction with landscapes and environments.
Throughout the afternoon, attendees will experience readings from a collection of woodland poems created over six months of seasonal engagement with Welsh woodlands. In collaboration with Playback Theatre, community members will be invited to share personal stories, memories, and reflections inspired by their relationship with nature. These contributions will be transformed into live improvised performances, creating a participatory theatrical experience.
As daylight fades, the gathering will conclude with a special performance by One Voice Choir, celebrating connection, community, and reciprocity through song. The entire event will be filmed to contribute to a documentary as part of the Unlimited commission and a standalone Love Stories to Nature film, extending the reach of the stories and experiences shared.
This immersive gathering offers a space for reflection, conversation, and collective imagination about our shared future in a rapidly changing world. It invites audiences to consider justice, care, and collective responsibility through a visually striking and politically urgent artistic lens.
Why it matters