Bourne to be Wild is a print-based project taking inspiration from the wildlife of Bourne Mill and Colchester, bringing visual interpretive artworks to city walls in a visual rewilding of urban streets.

Bourne Mill is a stunning heritage and wildlife site located close to the heart of Colchester. Cared for by the National Trust, it offers the perfect place to discover and connect with city wildlife. Creating deeper connections to the natural world, Bourne to be Wild celebrates diversity across Colchester and the importance of an enriched healthy community for both people and nature.

INSTAR - artists Trish Evans and Nick Humphreys – have produced a new suite of contemporary INSTAR commissioned artworks alongside a programme of community workshops throughout the summer with Firstsite’s Young Art Kommunity, Level Best Trainees, and Outhouse’s Youth Group and Craft Pride, offering a rich hybrid of wildlife exploration and printmaking activities, nurturing confidence, creativity, community and friendship.

Part one of the exhibition features work by INSTAR with images of wildlife with the text “This is Here: You are Here” on three specially built billboards across the city, running until 9 December. INSTAR invites all to identify and celebrate local nature within the bold compositions of colour and graphic illustration.

The second part of the exhibition starts with a special launch event on Sunday 10 December, when INSTAR will be pasting-up large collaborative artworks inspired by prints and images created by community participants, accompanied by a limited-edition artwork giveaway of their own designs and a touring cycle exhibition.

Accompanying both billboard street exhibitions, participants’ individual artworks will be exhibited from 10 December in a special online gallery at https://www.we-are-instar.co.uk/bourne

All are invited to enjoy the artworks, and come along to the launch event on Sunday 10 December, when the artists will be pasting up the work in the morning, and welcoming project participants, partners and the public to the Jumbo from 1pm onwards.

Bourne to be Wild is made possible through a commission from the National Trust and Essex Cultural Diversity Project supported by Arts Council England.

Participating partners: The Outhouse / Firstsite / Level Best / The Minories / Jumbo Tower / Makerspace Colchester

Find out more at https://essexcdp.com/commission/instar/