Side Quests: River Ouse

Explore the river as an active presence in creative practice, drawing on ideas of ecological agency, ecopoetics, and soundwalking.

This 1.5-hour workshop involves a slow and meandering group walk along the Ouse, with creative prompts and exercises developed in collaboration with archaeologist Fran Mahon and York-based eco poet Becca Drake.

We will meet at 11:00am at the road entrance of St George’s Field Car Park ( https://w3w.co/clap.earth.filed). The walk follows the river path to Millennium Bridge and returns on the opposite bank toward the city, ending at Patch York ( https://w3w.co/weedy.putty.length).

The walk forms part of Side Quests, a collaborative project led by Bryony Aitchison and Gaia Blandina that integrates sound art, poetry, and participatory research. Side Quests offers art walks as creative disruptions rather than guided tours — open-ended encounters that provoke new ways of seeing, hearing, and imagining landscapes.

What you’ll need:Please bring a phone, if possible, for taking photos and making audio recordings, and a bottle of tap water. Paper for writing, along with creative tools and prompts, will be provided.

Accessibility:The route follows an accessible path; however, sections may flood and can be muddy or slippery. If the river is flooded on the day, an alternative route will be used. For questions or access needs, please email YnJ5b255ICEgYWl0Y2hpc29uIHwgeW9yayAhIGFjICEgdWs=.

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