In celebration of World Listening Day, take time out with your headphones to listen to an immersive fictional sound story inspired by a landmark National Trust river restoration project and biodiversity renewal programme, designed to increase the environmental resilience of the unique landscape at the Holnicote Estate into the future.
#Riverlandia is a fictional story told through the voices of ten different characters, human and non-human, who inhabit a river valley as it changes dramatically over the course of a year. They include a broody male bullfish, a young beaver seeking independence, a dragonfly on her first ever flight, a teenage girl struggling with her identity, a reflective alder tree, and the river itself. The stories were inspired by research in collaboration with scientists, farmers, conservationists, and land managers.
The audio is narrated by a cast of actors including Gemma Whelan (Game of Thrones), Mike Wozniak, Bethany Antonia, and Spencer Jones. Sound Recording by Ellie Williams, and Sound Recording and Design by Nicholas Allan. Written and produced by Ellen Wiles.
You can listen via ellenwiles.com or on Apple Podcasts or Soundcloud. If you are in the South West, you can discover the locations that inspired the works in person at the Holnicote Estate at any time.
On Sunday 4th August, there will be an in-person creative workshop and listening event led by Ellen Wiles at Holnicote, hosted by The National Trust.