English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark

Covering the area of Torquay, Paignton and Brixham, the UNESCO Global Geopark designation is the highest level of international recognition an area can be awarded for its extraordinary geology, and linked environment, heritage and culture. The area’s unique and internationally significant geology has influenced Torbay’s landscape and biodiversity leading to one of the highest concentrations of land and marine based designated sites in the UK.  With a wealth of recognised historical and cultural sites too, the geology has shaped the area’s human history.

As cultural producers, Filament have supported artists to engage with the Geopark’s rich heritage - as creative inspiration, as a place to present work, as a place to connect with people of all ages and experiences. As a network of partners large and small, English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark has developed specialisms in employing arts & culture to connect people with each other and the natural environment, supporting wellbeing and social cohesion, and using creative practice as a way to understand concepts and epochs larger than ourselves.

Our work as an Associate Partner

Through 2018-20 working with Torbay Culture, our team delivered the Eyeview cultural programme, presenting works that revealed and celebrated Torbay’s incredible landscape, drawing out new perspectives on our Geopark’s unique heritage. The Great Place Scheme defined heritage as both built and natural, tangible and intangible and, as such, the UNESCO Global Geopark status was writ large throughout the delivery of the programme.

Currently our UNESCO Global Geoparks project ‘About Fungi & Being in the Dark’ is enabling international collaboration between artists and communities with two Geoparks - English Riviera in the UK, and Satun in Thailand.

Specific elements of our work support the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark’s embedded and networked way of working, connecting people with their place, culture and natural environment.

• Supporting Networks, Skills & Capacity-Building: Working with organisations to respond to emerging opportunities that support development in Torbay through culture-led initiatives; Collaborative-design of programmes across arts & non-arts sectors.

• Cultural Programmes & Animation: Articulating tangible & intangible culture & heritage through inspiring events; Events & programmes rooted in place, revealing & celebrating the overlooked or lesser-known; Raising the profile of Torbay as a unique & inspirational place, raising aspirations & opportunities for cultural engagement, skills development & employment; Empowering communities through hyper-local cultural development.

• Culture, Wellbeing & Environment: Building from Torbay’s Great Place Scheme, connecting artists & communities with our Global Geopark as environment, inspiration and sense of place; Developing work that actively enhances physical & emotional wellbeing through connection with landscape & natural environment; Interfacing with core health providers & development to support social prescribing & personal activation.

• Social Permaculture as Community- Based Cultural Development: Developing communities in ways that are sustainable for people & environment through cultural & creative activity; Working with communities at their pace, identifying strengths, challenges & possibilities to help them bring about positive change; Creating the conditions for people to flourish on a societal level and to develop beneficial relationships with the ecosystems which sustain us; Three key ethics: Earth Care, People Care, Fair Share.

Geoparks and the SDG’s

UNESCO Global Geoparks provide an ideal platform for implementing and supporting the philosophy and aims of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030 that aim to end hunger and poverty, offer comprehensive protection for the planet and facilitate environmentally friendly progress. Through our work at Filament, we identify our contribution to SDGs on a project by project basis, evaluating our impact and contribution.