Community

Image: Alex Murdin and Childs Sulzmann, Immersion, 2008

Alex Murdin

Alex Murdin is a writer, curator and artist who has developed numerous projects in public places, in both urban and rural settings. He is currently developing a PhD at Dartington College of Arts on 'Art in public spaces and the politics of rural leisure: access, environment and inclusion.' As part of this research work he set up Rural Recreation, a grassroots campaigning body which puts forward new views and develops action research projects on the issues of access, environment and audience inclusion in the British countryside.

Alex's past work includes acting as a public art advisor to both public sector commissioners and private developers, and initiating his own projects in a variety of contexts. A recent project 'Inclusive Path' was developed in Cumbria as part of the FRED public art festival. This interactive project explored the serious problem of path erosion in the Lake District caused by the high number of visitors each year.

Alex is also the current recipient of a Bright Sparks award, a unique funding scheme developed by Landscape+Arts Network Services, which supports artists and other creative professionals to develop ideas and research which explore the physical and social aspects of open spaces. Alex's Bright Sparks work 'Immersion' aims to research the relationship between leisure facilities and the natural environment in coastal locations. Possibilities include developing new uses for lidos, tidal pools and other water courses, exploring their potential as places for education on marine ecology as well as sites of recreation.

“Jaywick is a place with a unique history and heritage that deserves to be better known, a place where the community has created a DIY holiday resort of immense character. I’m hoping that any work we do at Jaywick will support this community of residents and visitors alike to sustain a relationship with the stark beauty of the marshes and the ever changing seascape as the environment and society changes in the future. Our leisure patterns are changing and as flying abroad becomes a more questionable use of resources perhaps Jaywick could become again what it was in its heyday, “the happiest resort on the Essex coast”, and an example of a new type of ecologically sustainable British holiday.” Alex Murdin

Art and architecture of wetland, coast and sea, Alex Murdin first work for Arcadia Revisited