A Derbyshire Artist will be bringing a fascinating story of a Derbyshire Hill to London next month and Londoners will be given the unique opportunity to help build an iconic Derbyshire drystone Wall!

“HILL” is the story of One Derbyshire Hill, told in photography, moving image, sculpture, poetry and sound and will be at Copeland Gallery in Peckham from Thursday 21st February to Sunday 3rd March.

The exhibition will show the work of award-winning photographer Kate Bellis, who has spent the last 20 years documenting the relationships between rural communities and the land around them. Kate’s images capture the working life of the hill – farming and quarrying – as well as images of the community that live in the shelter of the hill.

Alongside Kate’s photographs, the exhibition will house a full-sized friesian dairy cow – made from the Hill itself, using Longcliffe Limestone – by acclaimed sculptor Sally Matthews. There will also be a 20ft Derbyshire Longcliffe Limestone Wall, built by a local Derbyshire Quarry Man and farmer Nick Wilson and his partner Emma Alsop, a shepherd, whose portraits are also at the exhibition.

The Wall will be partially finished by the launch and during the exhibition members of the public will be given a unique opportunity to help create it. It is hoped this will be a wall to bring a strong rural community and an equally strong urban community together, a non-divisive wall, a rare thing.

HILL Live

Hill Live is a collaborative performance piece featuring spoken word, live music and dance directed by Debi Hedderwick, including dance by the Secret Dance Club.

Sat 23rd Feb and Sat 2nd March: 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm and 5pm

The Project has been supported by the Arts Council and Longcliffe Quarries.