HYDRODETOURS September 2021 programme of unique public walks and events:
You can now explore our new Hydrodetours online and experience together our Watery Commons:
Branches of the Wogebourne with orniphilosopher J D Swann (11 Sept, 11am – 4pm);
Watery Commons Deptford with Everyone Welcome Collective (12 Sept, 10am – 3.0pm);
Watery Woolwich: Celtic Omphalos of London with Sailor Forbes (18 Sept, 11am-1.30pm);
Urban Sound Ecology with soundcamp at Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Centre (17 Sept, 12noon -4pm);
Marine & Green: Watery Commons with Keith Turpin & SDCAS (22 Sept, 2.30pm – 5pm);
Waterside Foraging with artist Clare Qualmann (24 Sept, 1pm – 2.30pm);
Hoo Soundings on Thames/Medway canal with artist Ian Thompson (25 Sept, 11am – 5pm);
Fluid Crossings: Geodiversity & Art Walk – Gail Dickerson & Diana Clements (26 Sept, 10.30am –5pm);
Mollett and Morris’ Magic Lantern Hydra-touring Woolwich Dockyard (26 Sept, 6pm-8pm)
InspiralLondon’s Hydrodetours are unique artist-led walks that offer new ways of experiencing our city’s watery ecosystem. Embarking upon another voyage of discovery on foot, whether in waders, with boots or by boat – to investigate – on the fluid oozing ground, something of the Thames Valley Delta’s rich watery commons. Together, we detour and explore among its watery terrain, in order to understand its urban complexity and its hidden variety, but also to create a new sense of value and wonder within its beautiful biodiversity.
In these times of rapid extinction, climate upheaval and ecological crisis Hydrodetours offer you a time to celebrate and a time to share the extraordinary and unexpected, hidden within the Metropole’s shifting watery veins. By sharing alternative narratives and experiences we invite you to navigate these fluid times, building together walking rafts to the futur
From September 2020 – August 2021 Inspiral conducted a series of exploratory walks by rivers, on marsh and along waterways of the Thames Estuary Basin. Initially these walk workshops provide research and development for Hydracity Project, informing the work of commissioned artists working towards individual Hydrodetours guided walks. These unique Hydrodetour walks were launched publicly as part of programme of Arts Events, and exhibitions in September 2021 (Hydrodetours are funded by Royal Borough of Greenwich Community Arts Fund and supported by Totally Thames 2021).
Inspiral’s first public Watery investigations took place during Estuary Festival (June 5 -13 2021), then during Beach of Dreams/T100 (Kinetika – Thurrock walks programme 25-27 July 2021); and now as part of Totally Thames Festival (September 2021). Hydrodetours will become a permanent online/ontheground resource for discovery, as guided detour walks, sharing sets of unique experiences and hidden places. With projected schedule of new walks planned for Spring 2022. For more information and to sign up for walk/events and performative walks visit inspiral’s Events or sign up at Eventbrite
Historic Hydrodetours exploratory walks earlier in 2021
Towards the Watery (H)edges of Gravesend (5 June 2021) – This exploratory Hydrodetour walk launched with ‘Trail of the Blue Porcupine’ from Gravesend’s unique art centre LV21
Darent Valley Con/fluences to Graves/end with J D Swann & Charlie Fox (12 June 2021)
Rainham Marshes/Rainham Barges with Anne Bean, Richard Wilson and Ansuman Biswas (Bow Gamelan) and Inspiral Collective (13 June 2021)
Benfleet to Mucking Detour – InspiralLondon Collective with Jane Trowell & Kinetika (26 July 2021)
Cray River Confluences with Keith Turpin (30 August 2021)
R&D Hydrodetours
- Along the Darent Valley Path from M25 to Dartford Barrier and the Thames.
- Lost River Wogebourne to the Thamesmead marshlands.
- Rainham Barges to the mouth of the Mardyke.
- Mucking, Thameside Nature Discovery Park.
- Woolwich Arsenal and Thameside Oppidum – London’s orginal centre.
A calendar of scheduled walks/events and public walk workshops can be found on our events page. This walk calendar will be updated following current Covid regulations or measures.
