WHAT MATTERS

What Matters is commissioned by Kettle’s Yard for the community exhibition Paint What Matters, generously supported by Arts Council England and High House Residency Programme.

What Matters is a 16mm video and series of collaborative texts made by children in Year 4 at Arbury Primary School in North Cambridge. Through six ecologically focused workshops devised with choreographer Daisy May Kemp, the children have responded to two conservation sites in Norfolk - Holme Bird Observatory along the East coastline of England and The River Nar, a globally rare chalk-stream that flows through the downs and fenland of north-west Norfolk.

Returning to traditions of folklore, the children have expressed their thoughts and feelings about the people, places, colours, words and environment’s that matter to them today through painting and storytelling. Their hand-painted journeys are layered with 16mm footage of the River Nar, Holme Bird Observatory and the hands and gestures of female ornithologists.

Transforming into birds, rivers, seeds, seasons, weather and characters they met along the way, their texts touch upon themes of care for self, community and the increasingly fragile balance of our ecologies.

Each text is carried by a bird that has rested at Holme Bird Observatory in Norfolk along its migratory route from places as far away as Syria, Nigeria and Israel.

I FELT I WAS A BIRD PUBLICATION

The publication I Felt I Was a Bird gathers hand-painted 16mm footage and a series of collaborative texts made by children in Year 4 at Arbury Primary School in North Cambridge. Through six ecologically focused workshops, the children responded to two conservation sites in Norfolk – Holme Bird Observatory along the East coastline of England and the River Nar, a globally rare chalk-stream that flows through the Downs and Fenland of Northwest Norfolk.

Contributors:
Joshua Bilton
Daisy May Kemp
Barbara Mignocchi

100pp
148mm x 210mm x 7.9mm
Published: September 2025

Paint What Matters!

Photographs by Jo Underhill

6 workshops with Arbury Primary School, commissioned by Kettle’s Yard for the exhibition Paint What Matters! generously supported by Arts Council England.

Paint What Matters! is a unique exhibition at Kettle’s Yard celebrating the talent and creativity of children and young people in Cambridge. The exhibition will share the work of over 500 young artists aged 4-21 years across our two galleries.

For this exhibition Kettle’s Yard invites children and young people in Cambridge to create artworks about what matters to them today, in any artistic style or medium, from local to global issues; from their home to our shared planet; from love for families, friends and communities to concern for nature, animals and the environment.

A selection of artworks created by Kettle’s Yard’s partner schools and community groups will also be on display.

Painting about things that matter to me is important because I love the world … You are never alone on your journey ahead of you, and my painting will tell you this.

Saorise (10 years old)

6 Walks Along The River Nar

07.11.24 Sunrise 07:08 West Acre - Narborough Sunset 16:15

09.11.24 Sunrise 07:12 West Acre - King’s Lynn Sunset 16:13

11.11.24 Sunrise 07:14 West Acre - West Lexham Sunset 16:08

16.11.24 Sunrise 07:23 Castle Acre circular walk Sunset 16:01

17.11.24 Sunrise 07:12 Castle Acre -Litcham Sunset 16:13

24.11.24 Sunrise 07:36 Castle Acre -Mileham Sunset 15:51

WHAT MATTERS

What Matters is commissioned by CUH Arts, generously supported by Arts Council England and High House Residency Programme.

What Matters is a hand-painted experimental 16mm video made in collaboration with patients and staff at Cambridge University Hospitals. Through four workshops that explore the relationship between ecology and wellbeing, the hospital community has responded to two regional conservation sites in Norfolk - Holme Bird Observatory along the East coastline of England and The River Nar, a globally rare chalk-stream that flows through the downs and fenland of north-west Norfolk.

Transforming into colours, birds, rivers, flowers, hearts, seasons and weather, each abstract painted journey expresses different thoughts and feelings about place, walking, nature and magic.

The staff and patients hand-painted journeys are layered with 16mm footage of the River Nar, Holme Bird Observatory, a narrated story by year 4 children from Arbury Primary School in North Cambridge, and the hands and gestures of female ornithologists.

What Matters Community Workshops

Community workshops with Arbury Primary School in North Cambridge, Flourish in North Kensington, Cambridge University Hospitals, and Holme Bird Observatory and High House in Norfolk.

Exploring rivers and bird migration through painting, seed sculptures, 16mm film and folklore

6 Walks Along The River Nar

07.11.24 Sunrise 07:08 West Acre - Narborough Sunset 16:15

09.11.24 Sunrise 07:12 West Acre - King’s Lynn Sunset 16:13

11.11.24 Sunrise 07:14 West Acre - West Lexham Sunset 16:08

16.11.24 Sunrise 07:23 Castle Acre circular walk Sunset 16:01

17.11.24 Sunrise 07:12 Castle Acre -Litcham Sunset 16:13

24.11.24 Sunrise 07:36 Castle Acre -Mileham Sunset 15:51

Sharing The Weight

Seed pods wrapped and joined with thread that invite communities to explore balance and how one thing shares its weight with another. During the making process, each participant is invited to store a care, breath or word within their sculpture.

Made during workshops with Cambridge University Hospital staff; children and families from the Flourish arts programme in North Kensington, London; conservation workers at High House, West Acre, Norfolk; Ornithologists at Holme Bird Observatory, Norfolk and year 4 children at Arbury Primary School, North Cambridge.

Ring Of A Goldfinch

Ring of a Goldfinch, dried grass bound with thread.

Ring number Z678221, was a Goldfinch ringed in Ingoldisthorpe a few km south of Holme Bird Obs and died when it hit a window on 9th February 2019. It was an adult. Sophie Barker, Holme Bird Observatory.