Green Zine Day to celebrate North East urban nature and community creativity

The public are invited to celebrate the relationship between people, place and nature at Green Zine Day, a creative community event taking place at MIMA, Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art, on Sunday (November 15) as part of the national Being Human Festival.

The event forms the finale of a series of activities delivered through the Green Corridors North East project, a collaboration involving Teesside University, Durham University and the National Trust as one of only three official Being Human Festival hubs across the UK. Over the past week, participants have taken part in creative walks, nature-based workshops and community activities along the Tees to Topping and Durham City Green Corridor routes, exploring how green spaces shape people's lives and wellbeing through writing, photography, print-making and sound recording.

Green Zine Day will bring together the ideas, stories, artworks and experiences generated throughout the programme. Working alongside Tees Zine Works, participants will have the opportunity to create collaborative zines inspired by the landscapes, wildlife and communities connected to the region's green corridors.

The finished works will be exhibited at local National Trust sites and MIMA, creating a lasting record of how local people experience and value these important urban green spaces.

The event is part of the wider Green Corridors North East research project, which brings together researchers from Teesside University, Newcastle University, Durham University, Northumbria University and the National Trust to explore how people connect with nature in urban environments and how green spaces can support healthier, more sustainable communities.

Helen Moir, Senior Programme Manager, North East Urban from the National Trust, commented: 'The National Trust's North East Urban Team is delighted to be co-leading the Green Corridors North East research project, marking the first time the National Trust has been a Being Human Festival hub.

'This provides an opportunity to showcase the National Trust's research and our commitment to collaborating with people across the North East, working together to improve access to and strengthen connections with the green spaces in urban communities.'

Dr Nina White, Research Associate at Teesside University and a member of the Green Corridors North East project team, said: 'Green Zine Day is an opportunity to celebrate the creativity, ideas and experiences that local people have shared throughout the project.

'Over the past week we've seen people engage with their local green spaces in thoughtful and imaginative ways, whether through creative writing, photography, print-making or simply taking time to notice the natural environment around them.

'The Green Corridors North East project is about understanding how people experience nature in the places where they live and work, and exploring how stronger connections with green spaces can benefit both communities and the environment.

'We're looking forward to bringing people together to reflect on those experiences and create something lasting that captures the unique character of our region's green corridors.'

Founded in 2014, Being Human Festival is the UK's national festival of the humanities, led by the School of Advanced Study at the University of London in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the British Academy.