forest bounds

Forest Bounds and Venice Bound are two parts of an ambitious cross-cultural, cross-generational arts project that connects two seemingly distant but conceptually linked landscapes: the New Forest in the UK and Venice, Italy. Through the lens of four commissioned artists and their collaborative work with community groups, the project explores how these two iconic places act as living museums - shaped by history, human stewardship, and natural beauty - while grappling with complex questions of tourism, heritage, and environmental pressures.

Both the New Forest and Venice are bounded places, environments sustained through careful management yet vulnerable to overuse, neglect, and demographic shifts. This project seeks to explore their shared stories while giving voice to underrepresented communities, connecting local concerns to international conversations.

The project aims to:

• Support local artists and community groups from the New Forest in developing skills, creating new work, and gaining exposure on an international platform.
• Offer meaningful creative opportunities to young people and marginalised groups in the New Forest, many of whom have limited access to cultural experiences.
• Create visibility for underrepresented voices, by showing work by artists and communities from the New Forest in Venice.