The hedgerow is a concrete noun, meaning a mixed hedge of rough shrubs and trees, habitat for countless species of insects, birds and mammals and an invaluable carbon sink, potentially a vital tool for tackling the climate emergency. But the hedgerow is also an idea. It is the boundary marker between town and country, a line between human civility and the feral wilderness beyond. Hedgerow speaks an untamed language. Seen in this way, the hedgerow is a radical space where hierarchies are levelled and the natural takes its own sweet time.

Part ecopoetry workshop, part celebration of a season, JLM Morton will guide you on an active exploration of the autumn hedgerow – as history, fact and idea. Against the backdrop of the Museum’s Walled Garden and Stratford Park, we will use the environment to inspire our writing and emerge from the workshop with a refreshed perspective on the world of the hedgerow and some new short poems. All welcome - this workshop is suitable for absolute beginners and for writers with some experience who would like to get some words on the page.

JLM Morton is a poet, author of two pamphlets: Lake 32, her exploration of a year in the life of a lake and Sentient (collaboration with artist Susie Hetherington) a meditation on hedgerows, resilience and renewal. Her work has featured on the BBC, in the Sunday Telegraph, at Ledbury Poetry Festival and in numerous poetry journals and magazines.  In 2021 Juliette was awarded an Arts Council grant to work on a collection exploring the role of trade cloth in colonial expansion. She is poet in residence for Stroudwater Textile Trust. For more info, see: www.jlmmorton.com

Workshop price £25 (£20 concs). Tea and coffee included. Booking necessary. Book online here or call us on 01453 763394.

Illustration: Susie Hetherington