Quarry Paths + Distant Voices

With a new expanded project building on 7 years’ research on Portland through Heart of Stone, the 2025 project is finally happening across Purbeck and Portland gathering and inspired by Dorset stone and local voices.

In Purbeck I am research and developing a new spoken word and film and music performance with site response residencies to be shared at Sandy Hill Arts. This project is funded by Arts Council England, working with Laura Burrow (director consultant), musicians Julia Macara (Wildworks) Emily Burridge Cello (Dorset Rural Music School) and Adrian Cooper film-maker (Common Ground). We are partnering with Burngate Stone Centre, Langton Matravers Museum, Planet Purbeck and in collaboration with National Trust Corfe Castle. We are kindly supported by a Sanctuary R&D in Sterling Studio Lighthouse Poole in June. Sharings will be 22nd 23rd July.

In Portland we are starting a summer series of oral history and heritage community conversations in partnership with Portland Museum to share memories and stories of Portland stone and quarries, life in lived memory and the heritage of this unique natural and industrial landscape. And launching a Portland Poets festival with nature writing and poetry competition inspired by the words of Portland Poets Skylark Durston, Bob Woolage, George Davey and Boy Male.

The Portland Poets Club? Coming soon…for new poets to write/ perform/ come together around the same themes they loved of nature and the isle!

Dorset Songs of Stone/ PORTLAND

Quarry and Stone Conversations at the Portland Museum in the stone room/ garden 

Discussion Cafes to share memories and stories of Portland quarries and stone workers and life on the island in lived experience. All welcome. 

FREE events with hot drinks

Weds 28th May 1-3pm

Weds 16th July 1-3pm

Weds 13th August 1-3pm

Portland Poets festival 

Sat 7th June SHARED READINGS of Portland Poets in the garden 2-3pm (Portland Museum Open Day)

launch Sat 7th June COMPETITION to write a poem or nature writing inspired by the Portland Poets about your favourite places on Portland 

(please note we will share a leaflet of prompts to help get inspired by Skylark and the poets and to help people shape their own nature writing)

Sat 26th July Portland Poets’s FESTIVAL with guest community readers 2-4pm

Dorset Songs of Stone/ PURBECK