Ruth and I first met in March 2023 on a First Friday Walk, after we had been working together at a distance for many months. We had been sitting on logs in our own locations, writing letters to each other about the nature of collaboration, and other matters. Then we photographed the logs and letters and messaged them to each other via WhatsApp. This was during one of the Covid 19 lockdowns in 2022.
Later, when restrictions lifted, we walked and made maps and sound work together while on residency in Ilkley Moor, Yorkshire in March 2023. Finally, the work was exhibited at Convergence|Divergence in April 2023 in Pitchcombe in the Cotswolds, England.
A letter from a log – Tamsin Grainger to Ruth Broadbent. October 2022Log #1 Inverleith Park, EdinburghI didn’t have any fabric with me so I stitched the map of one of our walks on the back of my T-shirtRuth Broadbent and Tamsin Grainger on a First Friday Walk, Cotswolds, England 2023It was cold and wet walking on the stunning Ilkley Moor, Yorkshire, England 2023Stone mapping: cup and ring marks on ancient rock, Ilkley Moor, Yorkshire, England Woven Words from Log Letters at Convergence|Divergence exhibitionLog Letters on a till roll exhibited at Convergence|Divergence April 2023Stitched and overlaid maps of walks taken on Ilkley Moor, Yorkshire. March 2023
Blended is a Walking Art exhibition on 23rd-25th October 2026 at Granton:Hub, Madelvic House, Granton Park Avenue, Edinburgh, EH5 1HS.
Local heritage site, the Granton Gastower; a tree knot found in the Granton Crescent Park (photograph for Deep Encounters); and the Madelvic sphinx: drawing and photographs taken during walks in the area and inspiration for the exhibition
‘Blended’ will be a Walking Art exhibition of mixed media work made in Granton, inspired by the local history of the area. It will include ‘The Granton Burn’ a stitched banner (currently hanging at Riddles Court), sculpture made using materials from the United Wire factory and found at Wardie Bay, and new textile works based on the Madelvic House sphinx. There will also be works on paper and video, including those made with my Walking in Pairs partner, Kristina Rothstein and for the Deep Encounters project spearheaded by Janette Kerr.
A Board Game made of a stitched map of the walks usingthread and found materials, with cup and counters. Jointly made by Tamsin Grainger and Kristina Rothstein and stimulated by a walk we took in June 2026. Kristina and I walked at the same time and with the same theme in mind, she in Canada and I in Edinburgh (in the rain)
Walking Art is made during or after a walk, and always prompted by the walking and the location where it happens. The medium of the work and the subject matter come from the walk and the beings / people / places I meet. I am fascinated by maps and the sense of belonging that walking gives me. With my feet on the ground and using all my senses, I allow my body’s movement and the surroundings to spark ideas.
The weekend begins with a Community Walk at 5pm on Friday 23rd October in Granton with a shared theme. This is free or by donation and you can book here.
There will be an indoor opening event directly after the walk at 6-8pm at the same venue with refreshments.
On Saturday and Sunday 24th and 25th October, the opening hours to wander through the exhibition will be 10am – 5pm. There will also be a pop-up shop. I hope to see you there.
Walking Like a Tortoise, detail from The Granton Burn. Textile.
Deep Encounters is a Walking the Land project conceived of by Janette Kerr, and includes me, Zoe Ashbrook, Ruth Broadbent, Alison Berrett, Sara Dudman, Ffin(V C Price), Richard Keating, Melinda Hunt, Rachel McDonnell, Amanda Steer, Sally Stenton and Molly Wagner.
Deep Encounters is a multifaceted mapping of a small piece of land involving artists working in different areas/locations. At its centre is the perception of a space in a much more intricate way than normal.
Janette Kerr
There is a patch of woodland in the municipal park near my house where I walk regularly. It is in the middle of a residential area, overlooked by many tenement flats, and the trees in it have a view of the sea. To one side there is a newer coppice with smaller trees planted by the community.
Dark Wood – surrounded by park grass, Wheatley Elm, tenements, and cars parked to the left. There are newer residential units that replaced the fisher families cottages to the right. 7am January 2026
Surrounded by grass and a playpark, the woods are well-used, but not always respected, with a great deal of rubbish ending up there. There have been burnings, graffiti and other damage done. There is a great variety of trees and other undergrowth. Birds inhabit it and animals visit.
Although I have spent some time at Granton Crescent Park in the past, my aim is to continue to show it some appreciation – after all, it is the closest I get to countryside here in the city. Paying attention to somewhere changes me and it may even be that I change it, although I would not seek to interfere. I will get to know the place further – listening, watching, touching, smelling and even tasting. The landscape and I will be in a more continuous relationship, and who knows what will arise. It will be interesting to see what artwork comes through as the seasons turn and we get used to each other.
Place work… From knowing-about to becoming-with
Rae Wilcox @greengreenteas
February update
New mapping in progress: of animal and human desire lines before the Spring growth changes the patterns. Walking and walking, counting my paces, measuring and learning the land.
Various photos taken in the process of mapping. Deep EncountersDrawings of the desire lines which cross cross the copse for Deep Encounters
March Update
Standing still for long time meant that I wasn’t detected until the last minute
I will be adding to this blog on a regular basis as the project progresses.
Knots, a community walk. Saturday 26th September, 1:45pm-3.00pm. Part of the Granton:hub / Madelvic House Doors Open Day (details below). Knots community walk booking link
Madelvic House, the fifth wheel and the William Peck sphinx
The walk will involve local history, play, art activities, and nature. We will begin by learning a little about the fifth wheel and sphinx on the front of Madelvic House (below). The weaving part of our walk relates to our neighbour, United Wire, a local and international business which was once situated where Granton:hub is now. One of our other historical and contemporary industries, fishing, is the inspiration for the basic knotting practices (appropriate for children and adults) which we will use to make a joint artwork. (During the walk, we will be learning about Quipu. Quipu are record-keeping devices fashioned from knotted cords. They were historically used by various cultures in the central Andes of South America, most prominently by the Inca Empire, and used to store data and tell stories.) It will start and end at the Granton:hub / Madelvic House.
Places are limited for participants’ safety and enjoyment. It will be suitable for those with wheels / sticks. Dogs on leads will be welcome on the walk.
Tamsin Grainger is a Paths for All walk leader. In 2024/5, she was the Granton Archive Community Development Worker, and she is an experienced pedestrian.
I recommend a track of the same name by Lisa Hannigan from her album ‘Passenger’; the official video is good fun! “I, I tie the knots to remember in my heart.”
A varied programme at Madelvic House / Granton:hub between 11.00am – 3:30pm, including several exhibitions, an archive drop-in session and this walk
Visitors will be able to enjoy a varied programme at Madelvic House / Granton:hub between 11.00am – 3:30pm, including several exhibitions, an archive drop-in session and the above walk. Booking link here
I took a walk with Kristina Rothstein, together-apart, she in Vancouver, Canada, and I in Edinburgh, Scotland. We made a film which responded to a prompt by Kel Portman and was accepted to be part of his assemblage.
