Families invited to explore environmental zones at Arboretum
Families are being invited to take in a free immersive experience around environmental sustainability at the national place of remembrance.
The National Memorial Arboretum has collaborated with arts organisation Wild Rumpus to create six interactive installations, from a ‘Dream Garden’ to the ‘Memory Maze’, which are built using upcycled, recycled and repurposed materials.
Drawing inspiration from the natural surroundings of the Arboretum and the stories of service and sacrifice that are encapsulated within the memorials and landscaping, ‘The New World’ introduces six distinct themed areas that encourage creative, physical, and reflective activity centred on the themes of journeys and travel, inspiring people to contemplate the experience of exploring new places.
Rachel Smith, Head of Participation and Learning at the National Memorial Arboretum, said: “The Arboretum is an inspirational living landscape, and we make sure that sustainability and good environmental practices are the heart of everything we do.
"This summer we really wanted to share that message through creativity and play with the families that journey through The New World with us throughout the school holidays.
“The New World installations transport our visitors to new and wonderful places through the power of their own imaginations, whilst reducing the impact on the environment thanks to the upcycling and repurposing of many materials.”
Families will be guided on their journey by the spin of a wheel, sending them on an unpredictable adventure around each of the installations.
Starting from ‘The Oracle’, visitors will plot their unique journey through ‘Dream Garden’, ‘Memory Maze’, ‘Playscape’, ‘Sanctuary’ and ‘Utopia’, completing activities that will challenge their imagination along the way.
Rowan Cannon, Director of Wild Rumpus, said: “As an immersive environmental arts company, we aim to work regeneratively and within the boundaries and cycles of the living planet, an ethos that is reflected in all elements of ‘The New World’ at the Arboretum this summer, from the design concepts to the repurposing of materials once we have finished.
“We have a responsibility to produce environmentally sustainable events which provoke debate and inspire change and we always question how we can impact on the world more gently.”
Visitors can journey through "The New World" daily from 10am to 5pm and a free guide to the experience can be picked up from the Visitor Welcome Desk on arrival.
Entry into the Arboretum and The New World is free, advance booking is recommended to guarantee entry and save on parking.
For more details and to book parking, go to thenma.org.uk/thenewworld
