Glimpses of Utopia

05/12/2024 by Jo Hodges 2024

Glimpses of Utopia (2nd & 3rd Nov 2024) in the grounds of Abbotsford House at Melrose in the Scottish Borders coincided with the Celtic festival of Samhain and threaded together multiple strands of exploration by, with and within the river Tweed on our (un)trodden paths residency with Connecting Threads.

This extended body of participatory art and research culminated in encounters with a kaleidoscopic fusion of colour, bees, bugs, flowers, micro-worlds, ritual and reflection.

The work wove together themes of connection and care at different scales. The river was offered as a liminal space and a carrier of stories; stories of human and nonhuman worlds and of other pathways that intersect with our own.

The event began with a magical walk ritual along the river to an installation and gathering full of fire and light among the magisterial yew groves. The immersive installation and soundscape featured ideas and images created by participants together with the artists as they explored the paths by the River Tweed together over the Summer months.

As we moved into the dormant, reflective winter months, Glimpses of Utopia offered momentary insights into other ways of being through dreaming, imagining and connecting.

“A slow night-time procession marks the turning of the seasons – a gentle, barely perceptible shift from a time of abundant activity towards a time of rest. We wind our way through the woods in darkness, becoming attuned to the flitting of bats, the call-and-response of the tawny owls, and the tread of our footsteps gradually shifting with the terrain. We form a line, evenly spaced, walking in loose slow rhythm, each carrying a lantern illuminated by an image of a riverside flower in bloom. We are immersed together in our own thoughts and visions. Each sudden splash off to our right is a reminder of the perpetual presence of the river“

“A gentle ascent, a bend in the path, gradually and suddenly we come to two huge discs of light, like portals or planets in the darkness of a forest clearing. Vivid microscopic images of flowers phase in and out across these discs, redolent of other worlds but in fact produced just a little further upstream. An ambient soundscape and voiceover cross the seasons, from the promise of a summer morning to autumnal evenings and the floating dreams of all that the river might carry (away)” Tom Jeffreys. River Messenger. Connecting Threads.

Images: Jo Hodges and Kat Gollock

“Amazing experience”

“It was truly wonderful; beautifully crafted, perfectly paced and full of wonder and joy. An incredible piece of work. As I stood under the canopy of the trees, listening and watching, I could feel my whole body relax and time stand still”

“Magical, so beautiful. I loved it”

“Beautiful evening, beautiful words and imagery”

“A truly mesmerising experience”

“Thankyou. You created something really special”

“Glimpses of Utopia threaded together multiple strands that Coleman and Hodges had been exploring by, with and within the river throughout the summer months. They started with the concept of ‘asking as we walk’ (Caminando preguntamos), a process of listening and dialogue. Throughout this responsive approach, different conceptions of the River Tweed emerged: sometimes as a library of its own riverine journey (an archive of geological fragments, minerals, pollen, spores, leaves and fragments of human life); at other times, as a liminal space of imaginative possibilities” Tom Jeffreys. River Messenger. Connecting Threads.