I lived on or very close to Dartmoor for all of my adult life until we moved to Brittany in June 2022.
This was such an exciting project. Way back in the first decade of this millennium I was commissioned by Devon Arts in Schools project to write a long Dartmoor poem that could be understood by primary school children, appreciated by teenagers, and performed to an adult audience.
The point of the poem was to bring together pupils from small rural primary schools with pupils from the Devon comprehensives to which they’d be graduating. I went into 6 feeder primaries and 3 secondaries to lead creative writing workshops based on my poem.
I chose to follow the course of a river from Cranmere Pool, from where 5 of Devon’s rivers rise, on the bleak heights of Dartmoor to the sea.
I and the pupils then worked with 3 very different musicians: one folk, one experimental rock/jazz, one classical. Between us, we created a series of performances for both sets of pupils’ interpretations of these poems, and they were performed at 3 Devon public arts venues. I loved the work they created.
The 3 performances were recorded. This version is only my spoken word.
Later, Dartmoor photographer Vikky Minette and I published a limited edition book of the poem with Vikky’s stunning Dartmoor photographs of water. The image above become the cover.
You’ll need ten quiet minutes. Turn the lights out, lie down and be transported to Dartmoor…
I hope you find it inspiring.
© Roselle Angwin 2008/2013
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