:::::ABOUT:::::
Grow Feral is a call to action to creatively engage with the natural world - to reimagine our shared spaces, and attend to the interconnected nature of things.
To be feral is to connect to our wildness; to learn through doing, to give things a go, and not needing to be an expert.
Our activities aim to explore the symbiotic relationship of all of the natural world - humans, creatures, plants, land and earth, as a radical act of creating and growing, doing and being together.
We do this by developing creative green projects, workshops, events and other socially engaged activities through hands-on making and doing sessions, with and for the benefit of communities.
Grow Feral registered as a Community Interest Company in 2023.
Contact
Grow Feral are always open to conversations about projects, collaborations and more - get in touch about all the good green stuff! email: growferalprojects@gmail.com
People
Grow Feral is a versatile collective of artists, facilitators, horticulturalists, and other practitioners who work in multifarious ways to explore the potential of engaging with the natural world to inspire creativity, environmental awareness, and connectedness.
Sam Francis is a green-fingered artist, and creative producer who has studied to Level 2 in Horticulture, alongside having an MA in Curating, and a BA in Fine Art Photography. She is interested in the shapes of everyday spaces and wilderness places, through experimentation and the interplay between green thinking, being and doing.
Karen Barry is an artist, art-activist and community gardener who works as an Outreach Worker at Grove Park, and is one of the directors of Weston Artspace. Karen is currently studying for an MA in Art and Social Practice at the University of the Highlands and Islands, and is interested in bringing her practice as a socially engaged artist into her work in green and urban spaces to encourage people to creatively engage with their surroundings.
Origins
Grow Feral was conceived by Sam Francis in 2021 as part of a project commissioned by Culture Weston, and funded by Arts Council England. We have received a Green Social Prescribing Grant from North Somerset Council, are working with Severnside Community Rail Partnership, and work regularly with Osprey Outdoors who provide a range of activities in the natural environment to create healthier and happier communities and reduce social isolation. Our work so far has primarily taken place in Weston Super Mare, yet we are open to working outside of the region and in different contexts.