Between May and October 2025 our Hey! Earthlings! project has worked with people from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, creating opportunities for them to respond to our Shropshire heritage and landscape through artworks, sounds, words, and video. Last week we worked with a women-only group drawn from Telford Mosque, Craven Arms Mosque, Shrewsbury Muslim Centre and other community groups.

As with the other groups, we began by explaining the name of the project, how we are all Earthlings, of the earth, dependent upon it. We welcomed everyone, and celebrated the range of languages spoken in each group, sharing words and gestures in many cultures for welcoming each other. 

We talked about the legacy of Charles Darwin, born in his family home of The Mount, above Doctor’s Field, and who with his family walked these paths. Doctor’s Field, probably named long ago for its medicinal herbs, has had by September a huge crop of crab apples, damsons, hawthorn berries, and sloes.

There were opportunities for the 20+ participants to use a Polaroid camera and an iPad, and to make short films, collaborative poems and sound recordings.

After the walk, participants enjoyed art workshops, editing their films, creating tiny books and collages, and in this final workshop, a huge seasonal mandala of conkers, acorns, berries, grasses and fallen leaves.

The atmosphere of this final workshop, the women-only day, was really special in its warmth and joyfulness. One participant wrote to us afterwards: ‘Just look at the diversity of women from Telford, Shrewsbury, and Wolverhampton who came together and shared such joy. Hey! Earthlings! offers something truly life-changing, a space where people can simply be, connect with nature, and rediscover joy through simple, creative acts, all within a non-judgmental and loving environment. That is priceless.’

Hey! Earthlings! is about people who have moved across borders, or with connections overseas, working with those offering welcome. The project is funded by the Heritage Lottery.