How to BURY the GIANT

Harford Moor Sphagnum moss in Harford sheep fleece felt cups, ready for planting in exposed peat. Photo by Jim Wileman

Since COP26, we’ve been exploring these themes – Carbon, mosses, power, creativity, taking action, our role as creatives, to develop a new participatory artwork.  

This time instead of speaking to power, over there and somewhere else, we want to speak to power within, in here, right here, in our communities, in our homes, on our land. 

Throughout 2022, we’ve been speaking to and working with people from all sorts of backgrounds, toying with ideas and testing workshops with the Plymouth Energy Community Pals, spending time on the moor, playing with wool, growing sphagnum, seeking partners and funders to support and shape our next steps and trying to understand what we can do and how we should do for our next big participatory art project. 

Pieces of felt made from the moorland fleece sutured together and buried on site. Photo by Jim Wileman

An amazing mosaic of colour growing in wetland in Challacombe farm. Photo by Chloe Uden

Over the next 12 months, we will officially launch How to BURY the GIANT? A project inspired by mosses that aims to help people access their own creativity in response to the climate emergency.  It feels very special for us to say that we have arrived at another beginning. 

Firstly, we will get creative with communities on Dartmoor and beyond to propagate sphagnum and work with wool to support efforts to restore the moor. Funded by our partners (on our web site), we hope to collaboratively learn whether this sort of work could be used in other parts of the UK.

Sphagnum mosses ready for planting. Photo by Naomi Wright

Secondly, we will launch an online social and learning platform for anyone who wants to be creative in response to the climate emergency to join us on a journey exploring the tiny world of mosses and their mega impact, identifying our own small ways to work together reduce carbon emissions, get our power from renewable resources and take nature positive actions to protect our planet and sequester carbon. 

Moss in wool felt. Photo by Naomi Wright

Finally, we will challenge 1000s of participants to make an artwork for an exhibition at the end of 2023 which we will sell via a crowdfunder to raise funds that will be used to reduce carbon emissions and alleviate fuel poverty.  

We hope you will join us, not just read this blog, but on the journey we’ll be taking throughout 2023 and further into the future.  Join BurytheGiant.club