Gideon Amos MP supports river arts initiative
Gideon Amos, MP for Taunton and Wellington, has continued his drive to clean up the River Tone by being interviewed for a new art initiative.
Tonal is a sound project about River Tone by artist Feral Practice.
It poetically and factually explores the river, weaving together stories and knowledge about wildlife, ecology and history with current issues which affect water and rivers nationally.
Feral Practice said: “We are recording walking conversations with people who have distinctive relationships with water and the river – from the Environment Agency’s Director of Water to volunteers who survey otter populations. We are also recording experimental field sounds.
“Tonal is building a locally specific archive of river knowledge from many different perspectives.”
Tonal, which will have a dedicated low carbon website and will be shared on local radio, is supported by a bursary from the Firepool Centre for Digital Innovation (FCDI) and produced by Ginkgo Projects.
Mr Amos said: "Our river is part of our area's superb natural heritage, and this project is doing great work to highlight and celebrate the Tone.
“The volunteers who helped me prepare and submit the application for Bathing Water Status at French Weir achieved something remarkable.
“For the first time, we now have regular testing of water quality, and published data on how good it is, so people can decide whether they want to swim or go boating on the river.
“It was a real community movement involving the hundreds of people who regularly enjoy the river at French Weir which has been a bathing spot for literally hundreds of years.
“The other result is that plans are now being laid for millions of pounds of investment by Wessex Water to reduce pollution going into the river, overseen by the Environment Agency.
“I was grateful to Feral Practice for the opportunity to set out the work done at French Weir which began with a bathing spot but is really about improving the health of, life in and vitality of the whole River Tone in Taunton, Wellington and the communities in between".
For further information visit feralpractice.com or follow @feralpractice on Instagram.