The UK's 2,000-mile canal and river network is shaping up to become the nation's largest cultural space, as this year sees more commissions and events taking place on or along the water than ever before.  What's more, the Canal & River Trust's ambition for its waterways to be used as cultural capillaries reaching into areas that traditional art programmes have struggled to reach is gathering pace, with a range of new commissions planned across the country this year.  

This summer, the Canal & River Trust's arts programme includes, but is not limited to:

• Super Slow Way: A major £2 million three-year programme on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, focusing on the towns of Blackburn, Accrington, Burnley and Brierfield.  Funded by Arts Council England, the programme draws its inspiration from Ian McMillan's poem, carved into a lock beam in Gargrave, which captures the contrast between the canal as a 19th Century super highway and the tranquillity now found on its banks: “Super Highway, Super Wet Way, Super Low Way, Super Slow Way”. Led by renowned producer Laurie Peake, along with local communities and arts professionals, and taking its cue from the Slow Movement, Super Slow Way looks at how we can use our time more creatively.  It will bring art and artists to a space where time slows down, to look afresh at how we live our fast-paced lives and how we relate to our environment, to our neighbourhoods and to each other.  Projects planned along the canal route include artist residencies and performances. The programme's website, www.superslowway.org.uk, will be live from the end of May. 

• The Line: The Trust is excited to be a leading partner for a new world-class sculpture walk in London. The three-mile route, named after the Meridian Line, takes in the River Lee Navigation, passes through the ever-changing East London landscapes and links the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and the O2.  The project will bring contemporary sculpture by major artists to the waterways and include works by Damien Hirst, Abigail Fallis and Gary Hume.  The Line will be open from 23rd May.  For more information, visit www.the-line.org  

• Stratford 2 Stratford: From 27 June to 5 July, 30 teenagers from Stratford, East London will take a canal boat journey to Stratford-upon-Avon in a project designed to boost their creativity and confidence.  As well as handling the boat itself, the group will work with the Rubbish Shakespeare Company and the RSC to rehearse A Midsummer Night's Dream, taking inspiration from the nature and culture that they experience on their journey. This innovative project will culminate in the young people's performance of the play at the Stratford-upon Avon River Festival, as well as the Chobham Academy in Stratford.

• The Floating Cinema on Tour, 'Looping the Locks, Brentford to Bristol & Back Again': Following last year's successful season across London's waterways, arts organisation UP Projects is taking this vibrant arts programme west.  With the support of the Canal & River Trust, as well as Arts Council England and the BFI, the boat will travel to Bristol and back between June and August. A series of archive screenings, talks and workshops will feature alongside an active engagement programme, tapping into local heritage and culture along the Kennet & Avon Canal and celebrating waterborne communities.  For more information, visit www.floatingcinema.info/about

• LAND by Antony Gormley: Marking the Landmark Trust's 50th Anniversary, the Canal & River Trust has commissioned the positioning of a new life-size standing Gormley sculpture overlooking the canal at Lengthman's Cottage on the South Stratford Canal, Warwickshire. The sculpture complements four others being placed in Suffolk, Dorset, the Mull of Kintyre and on the Bristol Channel. Free for everyone to enjoy, all five will be unveiled as part of the Landmark Trust's Golden Weekend from 16th to 17th May. For more information, visit www.landmarktrust.org.uk

Tim Eastop, who produces the Canal & River Trust's Arts on the Waterways programme, said: “Canals and rivers have long been a source of inspiration for artists and there is a rich tradition of great art associated with the waterways.  Our programme for 2015 embraces the full creative spectrum of artforms, from poetry, literature and music, to sculpture, theatre and film.  Britain's historic canals, rivers, docks and reservoirs are such an extraordinary public and cultural space.  This project is all about working with great artists to engage new audiences in new ways about the importance of our wonderful waterways – as well as creating great art along the way.”

A recent survey* suggested that the Canal & River Trust's work to increase access to the arts through the country's waterway network is proving popular with the public.  A staggering 98% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that it was a good idea for arts events to happen around waterways, with 75% agreeing or strongly agreeing that they would be more likely to visit canals if there was contemporary art on show. It also seems that visitors drawn to canals by arts projects are, typically, from a wider demographic than those already making use of the waterway network.

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For further media information, images and interview requests:

Stella Blackwell, Canal & River Trust: 07796191120/ Stella.blackwell@canalrivertrust.org.uk

Notes to Editors:

*Survey undertaken by the Audience Agency in summer, 2014

The Canal & River Trust is the guardian of 2,000 miles of historic waterways across England and Wales, caring for the nation's third largest collection of listed structures, as well as museums, archives, and hundreds of important wildlife sites. 

The Arts on the Waterways programme was initiated by the Trust in 2012 in partnership with Arts Council England, and more recently with strategic support from the Arts Council of Wales. We work with talented artists and leading arts institutions which are based near waterways to inspire more people to experience and appreciate our waterways.

We believe that living waterways transform places and enrich lives and our role is to make sure there is always a place on your doorstep where you can escape the pressures of everyday life, stretch your legs and simply feel closer to nature.

www.canalrivertrust.org.uk     @CanalRiverTrust  @crtcomms