Stories of Creativity and Regenerative Practice

In January, we held the first New Horizons meeting of 2026, chaired by Clare Limb, where the subject of regenerative arts practices and the environment was discussed. Read this blog to find out Clare’s personal insight.

A blog by Clare Limb

It was always going to be a difficult task summarising a meeting with such a broad range of perspectives. You could call it overwhelm, only it’s the kind that comes from being in such a positive space with so many people who are making a difference to their communities and their art forms and wondering what can be done with all that positivity, collective lived experience, talent, skill, knowledge and understanding.

This positive space was provided by Arts Derbyshire in the form of a New Horizons Networking Event earlier this year. It focused on the environment and regenerative arts practices. The event itself was wonderfully hosted by the staff of Level, who welcomed us warmly and spoke passionately of their initiatives around wellbeing, including their new sensory garden.

As chair of the panel, I was given free rein to choose who to invite to speak at this event, and this choice led me to three incredible individuals whose passion for people, places and planet I knew would inspire the membership and bring fresh and unique perspectives on the topic. They were Hannah Bowlder – Development Manager at Junction Arts, Lucy Bird – Sustainability expert, therapist and dance practitioner and Anna Roebuck – artist and jewellery maker.

And they did just that. Hannah talked about how Junction Arts had shifted its focus towards sustainability by auditing its stock of previously stockpiled materials. This process has led to her organisation being more mindful of ethical sourcing and now avoids duplicate purchasing. Lucy spoke about procurement and how creating a database of ethical and sustainable providers can help share useful information across organisations. Anna spoke about how she makes pieces of jewellery in aluminium because of its circularity, it can be recycled many times.

All three of my guests spoke about the importance of nature-connectedness to both themselves personally and to their work. Lucy has been conducting practice-based research, which she has named ‘NatureDance’, connecting people with themselves and the rest of nature through dance, meditation, reflection, outdoor movement and how dance can develop the inner qualities which underpin a sustainable society. Anna has embedded her love of nature, which she has had since a child, in her work through using it as a direct source of inspiration for her beautifully crafted aluminium bracelets – finely engraved with images of the natural world. Hannah spoke passionately about how Tapton Lock Festival has become Junction Art’s flagship ‘green festival’, encouraging the public to use sustainable transport to attend and take part in a wide offering of green arts and crafts activities.

The positive feeling in the room on that day was palpable. Artists, creatives, arts organisations and those from supporting sectors such as Peak District National Park are the making stories of environmental sustainability through their policy, practice, performances and participatory art.

I am cognisant that we are in a period of great celebration of making across the county with Derbyshire Makes festivals taking place in six different hubs and an all-year-round suite of projects which have been developed and programmed with sustainability at their heart. Derbyshire Makes showcases the work and stories of passionate makers who are making art which is underpinned by regenerative methodologies and practices. The entirety of Derbyshire Makes has been premised on the idea of environmental sustainability.

It was clear from the January New Horizons meeting that providing support for artists, organisations and creatives to carry on their amazing work and practice in this area is much needed and that this support, in turn, would demonstrate to the makers of the future that impactful and excellent art can and should be made within planetary boundaries.