Overstory takes root in Broadmead – August 2022
2nd August 2022
“We used to live among trees and now they live around us, when we should be living together symbiotically.”
Ivan Morison and Heather Peak
Overstory, an exciting new art installation from leading contemporary artists Ivan Morison and Heather Peak, is coming to Broadmead on 19th - 30th August – brought to Bristol by The Natural History Consortium, the charity behind the city's Festival of Nature.
Inspired by native trees across Bristol, the contemporary artwork will temporarily transform Broadmead, with visitors invited to enjoy the suspended installation, which will hang high up over the high street, alongside enjoying a programme of engaging, fun and free activities involving art and nature.
The process of developing Overstory began with the artists traversing Bristol’s stately homes, neighbourhood parks, suburban streets, gardens, estates, greens, and graveyards, to find two trees whose stories reflect the true spirit of the city. You can explore the trees in Bristol which inspired the artists by following the tree map here.
Visitors to Broadmead can learn how to create, protect, and explore woodlands and forests in the region; and are encouraged to venture outside this summer and discover the local parks, wildlife reserves, and older neighbourhoods to experience the diversity of native trees around Bristol.
Overstory aligns with Bristol’s tree planting strategy of doubling the number of trees in the city by 2050, for the benefit of both people and wildlife. Highlighting the importance of Bristol’s urban tree canopy in a creative and immersive way, Overstory will be both educational and entertaining for those both young and the young at heart visiting Broadmead this August.
Visiting Overstory will make for the perfect family-friendly activity in the centre of Bristol during the school break, with a range of environmental organisations sharing ideas on how to create, protect and explore woodlands and forests in the region running alongside the work.
Free for all to view, further details about Overstory and the free programme of events will be released closer to the launch. www.overstorybristol.com #Overstory
Broadmead West (between Union and Merchant Streets), Bristol, BS1 3DW
Open daily, August 19-30, 2022 I Free Admission | Google Map
Overstory is commissioned by The Natural History Consortium, Produced & Curated by PONY.
Overstory project is being delivered as one of the activities under the City Centre and High Streets Recovery and Renewal programme, funded by Bristol City Council and the West of England Combined Authority’s Love Our High Streets project. Bristol City Council’s City Centre and High Streets Recovery programme is investing in the culture and events sector to help the recovery of the city centre and Bristol’s high streets. Overstory is the first headline commission to be funded through the council to encourage people to visit and stay in the area, providing support to businesses.