A nature walk around Middleton

As part of our engagement activities around the Middleton Masterplan, we took locals on a series of artist-led urban roams around the town. The idea was to explore the local area in a new way, encouraging conversations and creativity around the future of Middleton town centre.

One of these urban roams took the form of a nature walk with artist/musician Alison Cooper, where we mapped the flora and fauna around the area. Together we asked: Where are the green spaces and nature corridors around central Middleton? What areas are abandoned and could be used for community gardens and picnic spaces? What role does nature play in an urban environment like this? And how can we bring nature a little closer to home?

After the walk we stopped off at the local library to try some herbal teas and reflect on discoveries made during our walk. All of the thoughts and ideas will feed back into the masterplan for the area.

Alison Cooper is a socially-engaged musician, composer, visual artist and museum curator. Her work explores the intersecting narratives of landscape, material culture and human interaction.

As an artist, she works across a variety of mediums including photography, printmaking, animation, textiles and even herbal medicine. As a musician, she has toured the UK and Europe and released music under the name Magpahi.