As part of the ‘Improving the Stour Valley for Visitors’ project, a new film aiming to celebrate the art heritage and artistic activities available in the valley has been made.

‘Stour Surrounding – Artists and the Valley’ is a documentary film that takes a look at artists both past and present who have responded to the landscape of the Stour Valley. In the film we hear how this special landscape – of Constable, Gainsborough and Munnings – continues to shape and speak to the work of contemporary artists today. Moving between studio interviews and beautiful footage across the valley we hear from painter and sculptor Maggi Hambling who speaks of ‘absorbing’ the landscape, and from Simon Carter, May Cornet and several others who talk expressively about how they respond to the Stour Valley and landscape in their own individual ways. Other contemporary artists featured include Michael Carlo, Chris Dobrowolski and Freddie Robins.

The film is currently being screened at various venues around East Anglia, including Ipswich, Great Yarmouth and Felixstowe. For more information about these screening events, please see our events listings. When this initial tour of viewings is finished, the film will be made available for community groups, schools, collages, art centres, libraries, galleries and venues to borrow for further showings.

The film has been produced by artist Jevan Watkins Jones with Offshoot Films.  It was commissioned by the ‘Improving the Stour Valley for Visitors’ project, which is hosted by the Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and Stour Valley Project and funded by The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.

For further information, please e-mail visitstourvalley@suffolk.gov.uk