Why a Giant Fox is heading to Ivybridge this week for a new Dartmoor festival
Nature, art, heritage and community action will come together in Ivybridge this week as the inaugural Rivers and Moorland Festival gets under way across the town
A new festival celebrating Dartmoor's landscapes, wildlife and communities is set to take place in Ivybridge later this week.
The inaugural Rivers and Moorland Festival will be held on Friday, (June 5) and Saturday (June 6), bringing together walks, talks, creative activities, performances and community events across the town.
This year’s festival is the first of a planned five-year programme that will rotate across the moor between Ivybridge, Okehampton and Princetown, focusing on the people, places and natural environment of Dartmoor.
Opening proceedings on Friday will be Moor Understanding, a day of talks, workshops and discussions co-curated by Sustainable South Hams in partnership with Dartmoor's Dynamic Landscapes, Ivybridge Town Council and Emergency Exit Arts.
The programme will explore themes including Dartmoor's rivers, woodland regeneration, food, access to nature, stewardship and nature recovery.
Environmental campaigner and author Guy Shrubsole is among those expected to take part, alongside activities including storytelling, films, games and nature-based workshops.
Jane Nichols, chief executive of Sustainable South Hams, said: "The Friday programme will invite participants not only to learn more about the ecology and cultural history of Dartmoor, but also to consider how communities can work together to care for land, water and wildlife into the future."
Friday’s opening day also forms part of Sustainable South Hams' developing Rally for Nature campaign, which aims to connect environmental projects and community groups across South Devon.
The festival continues on Saturday with a programme of public events in Ivybridge, including a carnival parade, the traditional Bridge Ceremony, live music, workshops and family activities.
A giant fox puppet named Farrah will travel through the town from Fore Street to Victoria Park, stopping to observe the historic Bridge Ceremony on the old Ivy Bridge before joining the festival celebrations.
Visitors will also be able to experience a number of specially commissioned artworks.
These include ERME, a new public and digital artwork tracing the journey of the River Erme from Dartmoor to the coast, and CANOPY, an immersive sound installation in Longtimber Woods exploring the relationship between people and trees.
The festival forms part of Dartmoor's Dynamic Landscapes, a partnership programme supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Organisations such as Dartmoor National Park Authority, RSPB, Woodland Trust, Westcountry Rivers Trust and South West Peatland Partnership form part of a wider project to help people better understand, conserve and connect with Dartmoor and its communities.
Festival activities are taking place across Ivybridge across the two-day event, with additional guided walks and community events continuing during June.