Spherical sculpture on water in mist
Intrastellar by Steve Messam, 2020

Contemporary art, design and architecture in the nation’s forests

Discover our innovative arts programme in a forest near you

Woodlands and forests are vital places for artists to engage with, to make and present new work. Since 1968 the nation’s forests have played host to a wide range of artworks and art forms.

Our programme supports artists, architects and designers to develop innovative ideas.

Contemporary arts in our forests include installations, trails, exhibitions and live performances. Explore the artworks and discover how the forest can shape our thinking. Find out more about the projects in our forests below. 

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Keep up to date with our latest events, exhibitions and opportunities as well as inspiring stories and exclusive giveaways. 

Earth Photo

Established in 2018 Earth Photo is a world leading initiative dedicated to engaging with photographers and the prescient issues affecting our planet.

For Earth Photo 2022 photographers and videographers from across the globe submitted their work in the following categories: People, Place, Nature, Changing Forests, and A Climate of Change. A judging panel made up of experts from the fields of photography, film, geography, and the environment selected the final 56 images and videos by 35 international artists, and winners of each category.

Congratulations to this year’s selected and winning photographers!

A selection of the shortlisted images from 2022 entries will be on display at six of our forests between summer 2022 and spring 2023.

View from above of red pepper pickers
Red pepper picking, 2022 by Subrata Dey
The Radiophonic Travel Agency at The Forest of Dean
The Radiophonic Travel Agency, 2021 by Matthew Herbert

The Radiophonic Travel Agency: The Forest of Dean

Take a trip into the Forest of Dean with a new episode of The Radiophonic Travel Agency. Through this interactive and immersive digital experience, sit back and listen to the diverse range of activity that occurs in the Forest.

The Radiophonic Travel Agency is an ongoing project for Matthew Herbert’s The Radiophonic Institute and is developed with BBC R&D.

In the Forest Something Stirred

In the Forest Something Stirred is an online exhibition featuring two new commissions.

Treeline  by Ruth Maclennan and Natural Error by Rodell Warner each focus on the flora and fauna of our natural landscape, and how it is being marked by climate change. Commissioned to coincide with COP 26, the UN’s Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, the two works highlight the precarity of species in the face of the decimation of the environment and the loss of biodiversity.  

In The Forest Something Stirred is co-commissioned by Film and Video Umbrella and Forestry England. Supported by John Hansard Gallery, University of Glasgow and Arts Council England.

In the forest something stirred art works

Installations and trails

End profile view of Rachel Whiteread's Nissen Hut, Dalby Forest
Dalby Forest, near Pickering, Yorkshire
Visit the Nissen Hut by Turner Prize-winning artist Rachel Whiteread
RUUP by Birgit Oigus, Grizedale, 2018. Photo creds: Amelia Harvey
Grizedale Forest, near Hawkshead, the Lake District
Discover the UK's first forest for sculpture
Stained glass hanging from trees
Beechenhurst, near Coleford, Gloucestershire
Visit the sculpture trail and discover the newly commissioned pieces installed this year
View through a striking timber shelter structure with view in the distance
Kielder Forest, near Falstone, Northumberland
Explore a variety of inspiring artwork around Kielder forest
The Dream, art sculpture image at Sutton Manor forest
Sutton Manor, near St Helens, Lancashire
Visit the imposing sculpture at Sutton Manor Community Woodland
Sculpture by Richard Harris at Grizedale
Grizedale Forest
Experience Harris’ unique and thought-provoking work through his 45 year relationship with Grizedale Forest

Our Past Projects

We have created and supported a rich variety of artworks in the nation's forests. Discover our past projects here. 

People sitting on logs in the forest with VR headsets

Arts Council England